Source: https://www.edmundmichielaw.com/criminal-cases-central-virginia.html
Timestamp: 2019-04-18 20:45:50+00:00

Document:
​legal representation of themselves or their family members.
A conviction of any crime in Virginia stays on your record forever.
Will Hiring an Attorney Make a Difference?
Grand larceny, embezzlement, credit card fraud, forgery, and shoplifting.
Proof Beyond a Reasonable Doubt.
The distinction is essentially that a felony is any crime punishable by more than a year in jail. There are also some "unclassified" crimes which the statutes don't define as either felonies or misdemeanors but instead simply spell out the range of punishment for. Any unclassified misdemeanor that does not set out a penalty is treated as a class 1 misdemeanor per Va. Code § 18.2-12.
Va Code § 18.2-11 establishes the maximum punishments for the different levels of misdemeanors under Virginia law.
(a) For Class 1 misdemeanors, confinement in jail for not more than twelve months and a fine of not more than $2,500, either or both.
(b) For Class 2 misdemeanors, confinement in jail for not more than six months and a fine of not more than $1,000, either or both.
(c) For Class 3 misdemeanors, a fine of not more than $500.
(d) For Class 4 misdemeanors, a fine of not more than $250.
For a misdemeanor offense prohibiting proximity to children as described in subsection A of § 18.2-370.2, the sentencing court is authorized to impose the punishment set forth in subsection B of that section in addition to any other penalty provided by law."
1975, cc. 14, 15; 1990, c. 788; 2000, c. 770.
Va Code § 18.2-12 provides that a "misdemeanor for which no punishment or no maximum punishment is prescribed by statute shall be punishable as a Class 1 misdemeanor." Code 1950, § 18.1-9; 1960, c. 358; 1975, cc. 14, 15.
Over the last 10 or 15 years, the Virginia legislature has created more and more mandatory sentencing laws (as Congress has done with federal crimes).
​§ 18.2-12.1. Mandatory minimum punishment; definition. "Mandatory minimum" wherever it appears in this Code means, for purposes of imposing punishment upon a person convicted of a crime, that the court shall impose the entire term of confinement, the full amount of the fine and the complete requirement of community service prescribed by law. The court shall not suspend in full or in part any punishment described as mandatory minimum punishment.
Va Code § 18.2-10 establishes the maximum punishments for the each level of felony under Virginia law (click link for full listing).
In my practice, I have decided not to handle felony-level cases involving allegations of serious violence against the victim, nor do I handle drug distribution cases.
Below are felony levels relevant to my practice.
​1975, cc. 14, 15; 1977, c. 492; 1990, c. 788; 1991, c. 7; 1994, 2nd Sp. Sess., cc. 1, 2; 1995, c. 427; 2000, cc. 361, 767, 770; 2003, cc. 1031, 1040; 2006, cc. 36, 733; 2008, c. 579; 2017, cc. 86, 212."
In my practice I have chosen not to handle any federal felonies, but I do handle all federal misdemeanors which can be state-defined crimes that happened on federal land (e.g. Shenandoah National Park). The punishment levels for federal offenses are set out below. For a full version of the code section, click on the link.
(9) five days or less, or if no imprisonment is authorized, as an infraction.
(b) Effect of Classification.—Except as provided in subsection (c), an offense classified under subsection (a) carries all the incidents assigned to the applicable letter designation, except that the maximum term of imprisonment is the term authorized by the law describing the offense."

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