What Should I Do If I Miss Court in Norfolk? What are the Penalties for Failing to Appear in Court in Virginia? How Do Failures to Appear Affect My Bond or Any Future Criminal Cases?

According to the Code of Virginia “whoever…willfully fails to appear before any court or judicial officer as required, shall, after notice to all interested parties, incur a forfeiture of any security which may have been given or pledged for his or her release, unless one of the parties can show good cause for excusing the…

How are Shoplifting and Concealment of Merchandise Punished in Virginia?

In Virginia, whoever, without authority, with the intention of converting goods or merchandise to his or her own or another’s use without having paid the full purchase price thereof, or of defrauding the owner of the value of the goods or merchandise, (i) willfully conceals or takes possession of the goods or merchandise of any…

What is a Riot and How is it Punished in Virginia? What Does Unlawful Assembly Mean in Virginia?

According to the Virginia Code, any unlawful use, by three or more persons acting together, of force or violence which seriously jeopardizes public safety, peace or order is a riot. Every person convicted of participating in any riot in Virginia shall be guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor. If such person carried, at the time…

What Types of Powers Do Law Enforcement Officers Have During Times of Rioting in Virginia?

According to the Code of Virginia, if it appears to the Governor that the power of the locality is not sufficient to enable the sheriff or other officer to execute process delivered to him or to suppress riots to preserve the peace, he may order law-enforcement agencies, National Guard, militia or other agencies of the…

2020 Legislative Update From LeCruise Law – New Virginia Laws Go into Effect This Summer

2020 Legislative Update from LeCruise Law – New Virginia Laws Go into Effect in this Summer The following legislation has been approved during the 2020 Virginia General Assembly Session and will become effective laws on July 1, 2020. The Virginia Indigent Defense Commission (VIDC) has published very useful summaries of these new laws and here…