Each year, a number of Virginia residents are arrested and face criminal charges. Virginia State Police just released a crime statistics report showing the number of arrests for various types of crimes in 2015.
Drug arrests are still all too common in Virginia. In the past, many young people, in particular, were facing marijuana possession charges. According to the latest report, though, young adults arrested for marijuana actually went down from 2014 to 2015. While this is encouraging, the increase in heroin arrests for Virginians aged 20 to 24 is alarming. Drug use is a main area of concern for officials, so those in Virginia should be aware that law enforcement will continue to arrest those in violation of state and federal drug laws.
The report unfortunately also reveals an increase in arrests for other crimes. Violent crime increased by less than one percent from 2014. This statistical category includes murder, aggravated assault, rape, and robbery. Homicides saw a much more significant increase of 13.4 percent, with close to 400 killings in 2015. However, property crime, including burglary, larceny, and car theft saw a two percent drop in occurrence.
Being arrested for any crime can be overwhelming. In order to obtain a conviction, the prosecution will have to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that you committed the crime. Without the right defense in place, you could be convicted of the charges brought against you and face serious consequences. The penalties could include jail time, fines, license suspension, and/or probation. However, because prosecutors have to meet such a high standard, a well-organized and aggressive criminal defense could help you avoid these consequences by poking holes in the prosecution’s argument.
Source: WDBJ7, “Virginia crime report: Marijuana arrests down for teens, but arrests for heroin up for some ages,” Khiree Stewart, June 3, 2016
