News & Press for Virginia
Criminal Defense Attorneys
VA Criminal Laws - News & Press
News updates over on the
blog.
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2/29/08 - Senate bill on increased penalties for DUI offenders 18 and
under moves to full Senate for vote. Bill to require interlock devices
for a first offense drunk driving conviction delayed in committee
(dead?).
Details here.
2/27/08 - More on the proposed DUI legislation: The bill currently
being worked on in the Virginia Senate would increase
penalties for teenagers who are convicted of drunk driving. If a
driver is 16, 17, or 18, they would automatically lose their driver's
license for one year.
2/14/08 - Update: The first offense DUI interlock law has
passed the Virginia House
of Delegates, and goes on to the Senate in the Virginia General
Assembly. If it passes the Senate, it will become law.
2/10/08 - A Virginia state lawmaker is
proposing a law to make anyone convicted of a single
DUI/drunk driving charge install an ignition
interlock device in their vehicle as a condition of license
reinstatement. Under current Virginia DUI laws, An ignition interlock
device is only required in cases where the person blew over a .15 BAC on
a breathalyzer, or almost twice the legal limit.
We believe this is a terrible idea. It is absolutely unfair to saddle
someone who could even have been under the legal limit with this burden.
Or if you made a one time mistake, you have to pay for it with something
that could affect your job.
Even more important, there is absolutely no credible evidence that an
ignition interlock device does anything to prevent drunk driving in
people who are not chronic alcoholics or multiple offenders.
More on Virginia ignition interlock devices here.
8/12/07 - More
abusive driver fees fallout, from the Washington Post. A
woman feeling labor pains is cited for reckless driving and tries to
fight the new fees.
7/24/07 - The Washington Post reports on how abusive driving
fees have a punitive effect on the poor, and result in more charges of
driving on a suspended license, due to the inability of people to pay
the fees to get their licenses renewed. [story]
7/2/07 - Press release on Virginia's
Abusive Driving Laws - in effect
7/2/07
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