Defense attorney Jamilah D. LeCruise of Norfolk has been awarded the 2020 R. Edwin Burnette Jr. Young Lawyer of the Year Award by the Virginia State Bar Young Lawyers Conference. The award recognizes young lawyers who demonstrate dedicated service to the conference, the legal profession, and the community. LeCruise has served in numerous roles both at the VSB…
While there is often confusion as to the powers local animal control officers possess, it is important to recognize that they are real law enforcement officers who enforce a variety of criminal offenses, many of which are jailable. Failure to comply with the legal orders of an animal control officer can lead to you being…
If you are convicted of a traffic offense, the court where you are convicted notifies the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) and the DMV assigns demerit points to your driving record based on the seriousness of the driving offense. Here are some common examples of moving violations in Virginia and the demerit points associated…
If you have a police encounter, you CAN protect your rights. What you say to police officers is always important as everything you say can be used against you in court. You never have to consent to a search of yourself, your personal property, your car or your house. If you consent to a search,…
A magistrate is a sworn judicial officer who makes one of the most important decisions in a criminal case: whether there is probable cause to issue an arrest warrant against a person. In most cases, after a person has been served with a warrant, a magistrate will be the first judicial actor who can determine…
If you are in a car accident and someone is injured or there is property damage, Virginia law requires that you immediately stop as close to the scene of the accident without impeding traffic and call the police. You must give the police your name, address, driver’s license number, and vehicle registration number. You must…
On April 10, 2020, Virginia Governor Ralph Northam announced that he signed six (6) criminal justice bills, which will go into effect on July 1, 2020. New Virginia criminal laws are: An increase of the felony larceny threshold from $500 to $1000 A repeal of the requirement that the driver’s license of a person convicted…
On April 10, 2020, Virginia Governor Ralph Northam announced that he signed five (5) new gun control laws, which will go into effect on July 1, 2020. New Virginia gun laws include: A requirement of background checks on all firearm sales, which includes specific criminal punishments for gun buyers and sellers The establishment of an…
Under the Code of Virginia, it is “unlawful for a person over the age of 16 years of age to, with the intent to conceal his identity, wear any mask, hood or other device whereby a substantial portion of the face is hidden or covered so as to conceal the identity of the wearer, to…
Under the Code of Virginia, it is illegal to hang anything from a rear view mirror in a vehicle while driving. In particular, “It shall be unlawful for any person (i) to drive a motor vehicle on a highway in the Commonwealth with an object or objects, other than a rear view mirror, sun visor,…