The following legislation has been approved by the Virginia General Assembly and signed into law by Governor Northam. The Virginia Indigent Defense Commission (VIDC) has published very useful summaries of the new criminal laws and here are the most important changes going into effect. Bail Admission to Bail: Eliminates the rebuttable presumptions against being admitted…
Virginia Criminal Justice Reforms Going into Effect in 2021
Among the changes to the Virginia criminal law and procedure codes that became effective March 1, 2021 include: The authority of local prosecutors to dismiss any criminal case A bar on police from searching due to the odor of marijuana A ban on no-knock search warrants The creation of more secondary traffic infractions to prevent…