When people hear the terms manslaughter and murder, they typically know these are distinct crimes, but the differences are more subtle than one may suspect. Both belong in a category of violent crimes known as “homicide”, which means the killing of a human being. Specifically, the state of Virginia has six separate homicide offenses: Involuntary manslaughter Voluntary manslaughter Second-degree murder First-degree murder Felony Murder Capital murder While the loss of Read More
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Using Self Defense Against Malicious Wounding or Murder Charges
When people are confronted with criminal charges related to assault and battery, or in some very serious malicious wounding or murder cases, it is fairly common to feel as though they had no other choice and only reacted to save or protect themselves. While it is a generally accepted concept that a person has a right to protect themselves from harm, this is actually a complicated area of Virginia law. Read More
Virginia’s Execution Rate Climbs to Third in the Country
Since the U.S Supreme Court permitted capital punishment to resume in 1976, the state of Virginia has executed a total of 112 individuals. These people were all convicted of capital murder and their executions took place after 1982. Virginia is currently only behind Oklahoma (112 since 1990) and Texas (539), but the Commonwealth has the distinction of having carried out the most executions throughout its entire history than any other Read More
Expansion of Hate Crimes Definitions in Virginia
In a recent news conference, reported on by the Washington Post, Mark R. Herring, Virginia’s attorney general stated that hate crimes are on the rise in Virginia. He also announced that the definition of hate crimes in the state will be expanded. Herring stated that hate crimes will now include offenses against individuals based on sexual orientation, disability, gender, and gender identity. Currently, the law only mentions “racial, religious, or Read More