Blog

In March, Governor Northam issued stay-at-home orders for most residents of Virginia. Couples and families are used to spending some time apart, like going to work or school, hanging out with friends, or out-of-town trips. Now, with so many people spending the majority of their time in the home, ...

Governor Northam issued stay-at-home orders for most residents of Virginia. The temporary order was issued on March 30, 2020, and is to remain in effect until June 10, 2020, subject to change. This will keep many people at home over the next weeks and may lead to a change in daily habits, includi...

Drug court began as a way to provide treatment to people with substance abuse problems as an alternative to incarceration. Individuals in Charlottesville, Albemarle, and Fluvanna are fortunate to have a drug court, which many other counties in Virginia lack. Drug court can be a good option if you...

In a moment of rage, we sometimes say things we don't quite mean, like: I will kill you! There's a difference, though, in actually saying it and meaning it. Even if you didn't mean it though, you may still find yourself in trouble with the law. In Virginia, it's a crime to threaten someone with d...

Sending suggestive pictures or explicit images to another person via the internet or digital devices, like your cellphone, is known as sexting. Sexting, generally speaking, is not an illegal act in Virginia. It can be considered a sex crime, though, when certain conditions or circumstances are pr...

DUIs are crimes committed by people just like you and me. We are lawyers, janitors, teachers, doctors, police officers, sales clerks, and many more. For first-time offenders, a DUI can mean jail time, but it depends on the facts and circumstances surrounding the DUI event, any plea deal, the judg...

The right to own and use a firearm is a Constitutional right. Gun owners throughout Virginia have been vigorously advocating their rights, too. They believe in the Second Amendment and are voicing their concerns over a rising movement to regulate gun ownership more thoroughly. But for gun owners...

Recently in Denver, Colorado, a double standard involving police and DUI arrests was uncovered and reported on. It's not a surprising fact that police can be biased, especially in cases of DUI arrests, but in this specific circumstance, the double standard could not be any clearer.  So, though th...

It's Thanksgiving time, and with that comes the big Thanksgiving celebrations and dinners complete with alcoholic beverages. And from house to house, a person may bring a bottle of whiskey or wine – they may even bring an open bottle because in Virginia, under certain conditions, you can carry op...

So now you don't have to take our word for it, but you can take it from the New York Times as well: breath tests don't work; breathalyzers produce bad results; breathalyzers are, in essence, a scam that can cause innocent people to suffer the consequences of a DUI conviction. On November 3, 2019...

It's late. You had a few drinks. You feel fine. You say goodbye to your colleagues in Charlottesville and head home. Little do you know a cop across the street had been waiting for the next person to leave the bar. You get into your vehicle and pull up to the traffic light, and on the red light, ...

Driving while under the influence of drugs in the Commonwealth of Virginia is illegal, and this includes the use of the drug commonly referred to as "ecstasy." When driving under the influence of this kind of drug, a person can be stopped and arrested for DUI. What is Ecstasy? Ecstasy is a man-...

Halloween isn't just for kids. Many adults enjoy this time of year. While kids are going door to door for their treats, many adults enjoy getting dressed up as vampires and celebrities to attend adult parties. Alcohol is often a treat as these parties. So, it goes without saying: be safe and don'...

The Virginia General Assembly passed in early September 2019 House Bill (HB) 1941. This bill, named Driving while intoxicated or operating watercraft while intoxicated; maiming, etc., of another (DUI Maiming), will make penalties more severe for persons charged and convicted under it. The bill wi...

Like all of us, police make mistakes, and these mistakes are especially common to DUI investigations in Virginia. The police have already made up their minds at first glance that you are driving under the influence (DUI) of alcohol or drugs. They are anxious to make an arrest. And through their a...

So, you were pulled over for a DUI in Charlottesville. Maybe you didn't hire an attorney or didn't vet an attorney thoroughly enough, and now you have been convicted of your first, second, or subsequent Virginia DUI. A conviction means driver's license suspension for at least one year – the leng...

When a police officer pulls you over in Virginia, whether it's day or night, it's often for a violation of a traffic offense. Sometimes this simple traffic stop can turn into something much worse, like an arrest for a DUI. This often happens when the officer smells alcohol in the vehicle or on yo...

It's summer. It's hot outside. Inside, you had one too many alcoholic beverages. Upon getting in your vehicle in the parking lot, you decide to close your eyes for a minute – to wait out the alcohol. As the night progresses and the parking lot empties, the police find your vehicle still parked. T...

The 4th Circuit Court of Appeals recently ruled (vote 8 to 7) that a lawsuit challenging Virginia's interdiction law can move forward. This isn't a law that would affect a large number of people, but those who are affected face serious consequences. The Virginia attorney general's office is defe...

When a person is under the influence of drugs and gets behind the wheel, he or she is at risk of being charged with a Virginia DUI. This includes when a person uses the drug ecstasy. The drug can have serious effects on a person's ability to drive safely and legally. What is Ecstasy? Ecstasy is...

A suspected intoxicated driver slammed into a home on Bainbridge Street in Richmond, VA, injuring two men. The impact occurred on Wednesday, June 12, 2019, at around 11:25 p.m. Richmond police officers were dispatched to the scene after calls that a vehicle had struck a structure. After investig...

A man now faces charges after taking police on a high-speed chase, in a stolen car, while under the influence of methamphetamine. A Wise County deputy was flagged down on May 22, 2019, by a citizen who wanted to report a stolen car at around 3:30 p.m. The deputy was flagged down around Kent Junc...

Most people, when thinking about a DUI, picture the drunk driver with bottles of alcohol strewn about the car. However, when a person drives under the influence of drugs, such as methamphetamine, he or she can just as easily be charged with DUI. Methamphetamine is an illegal drug, and its use wh...

A state lawmaker in the Commonwealth of Virginia recently pleaded guilty to driving under the influence (DUI).  State Delegate Matthew James entered into a plea agreement Monday, April 22, 2019.  The agreement allows him to avoid jail time so long as he does not violate the law or his probation ...

An employee of Clemson University faces a civil wrongful death lawsuit stemming from a DUI charge. David Robert Lee, age 37, was charged with a DUI first-offense after he struck a 79-year-old woman who was crossing Main Street in downtown Greenville on March 8, 2019. On that date, Virginia Byrn...