If law enforcement officers charge you with simple drug possession, then you can expect relatively moderate penalties from a conviction. If you stand accused of possession with the intent to distribute, however, you will likely face much harsher consequences. Where...
Criminal Defense
What is considered hazing under Virginia law?
Young adults expect to have fun in college and look forward to making new connections through social and extracurricular organizations. Various fraternal groups include games and challenges for initiation, and this has been a practice for centuries. However, students...
What property are police allowed to seize in Virginia?
Specific state and federal laws govern law enforcement's ability to search and seize property. If police seized your property without your consent, you should understand what constitutes lawful search and seizure and what does not. What is a seizure? Seizure is the...
Why are more Virginia police officers being decertified?
Before 2021, police officers needed a criminal conviction, failed drug test or evidence of neglecting certain standards of training to have their certifications revoked in Virginia. As a result, relatively few officers experienced this disciplinary action. However, in...
5 things not to say when questioned by a police officer
There are many thoughts and emotions that will course through your mind when a police officer places you under arrest, and even more so when they bring you in for questioning. You might even say something incriminating in your panic or lash out in frustration. When it...
What are the penalties for drug possession?
WVEC reports U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) seized 16.5 pounds of cocaine from a ship docked at the Port of Norfolk. The CBP estimated the value of the contraband at $225,000. The drug trade continues to be a reality of life on Virginia soil. What may be the...
No-knock warrants are banned in Virginia
Virginia no longer allows law enforcement officials to use no-knock warrants. This new measure occurred in conjunction with several other police reform measures, and it went into effect as of March 1, 2021. According to ABC 8 News, Virginia is now the third state in...
What are some wrong things college kids say to the police?
College students sometimes get themselves into trouble, and an incident could bring them not to the dean's office but a police station. When stopped and questioned by police in Virginia, they may feel nervous and assume they could explain their situation. Anyone with...
What are my rights during a police traffic stop?
When you are on the road and see the flashing lights behind you, your heart might stop. Even once you pull over, you’re thinking about what will happen next. With multiple cases of police brutality after traffic stops or during arrests in recent years, you may be...
Probable cause and electronic information
When Virginia police officers want to search a suspect's home, car or possessions, they generally must first obtain a search warrant, and the judges who issue these warrants only do so when they are presented with probable cause to believe that useful evidence will be...