According to the Code of Virginia, a judge may punish the following behaviors as contempt of court: Misbehavior in the presence of the court, or so near thereto as to obstruct or interrupt the administration of justice; Violence, or threats of violence, to a judge or officer of the court, or to a juror, witness,…
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…
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…
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…
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 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…
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…
Under the Code of Virginia, Disorderly Conduct is a class 1 misdemeanor, which is punishable by up to twelve (12) months in jail. A person is guilty of Disorderly Conduct if, with the intent to cause public inconvenience, annoyance or alarm, or recklessly creating a risk thereof, he: A. In any street, highway, public building,…
There is a misdemeanor and felony version of this type of crime in Virginia. Specifically, under Virginia Code Section 19.2-82.1, “any person who falsely identifies himself to a law enforcement officer with the intent to deceive the law enforcement officer as to his real identity after being lawfully detained and after being requested to identify…
According to Black’s Law Dictionary, restitution is defined as the return or restoration of some specific thing to its rightful owner or status; compensation for benefits derived from a wrong done to another; and also compensation or reparation for the loss caused to another. In the criminal context, the purpose of restitution is compensate or…