The Virginia court system is serious about combating crime, and the recent 2019 report concerning the state crime rate could mean that local court policies could become more intensified. While there were decreased numbers in certain categories, the number of homicides was the real surprise with a 9.5% increase in cases. In addition, the number of fraud cases also increased by 4.2% compared to 2018. Hate crimes also increased by a 16.2% rate, with this distinction being applied as a factor in a wide variety of criminal activity.
Virginia actually had a decrease in the number of drug and narcotic cases along with a decrease in burglary incidents. Marijuana arrests made up 57% of all drug crimes even though the overall number of drug-related crimes decreased by 6%. Burglary incidents decreased by 7.5%, but over half of those crimes occurred between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m.
Most courts view different types of crimes with varying degrees of seriousness. Crimes that do not necessarily involve victims are typically violations of state statutes and are supported by some type of officer interaction, such as a DUI or drug possession. There is typically a victim who will be testifying in violent crime cases, which means that criminal defense attorneys will have an opportunity to cross-examine them if a trial is ultimately necessary.
Even in defending charges that have an element of violence, an experienced Virginia criminal defense attorney will still evaluate all articles of evidence presented by the state for admissibility. Basic requirements regarding how the evidence was acquired and the accuracy of all claims made in prosecution can all be potentially dismissed when wrongfully obtained or immaterial to the case. Even suppression of minor details can result in a reduced charge plea bargain or even a case dismissal when evidence has been embellished or falsely claimed.
