Author Archives: Jay Butchko
Five Kinds Of Reckless Driving In Virginia
Every year, car crashes in the United States kill or seriously injure millions of people. Aggressive driving, particularly reckless driving, causes many of these wrecks. Many states, including Virginia, are cracking down on reckless driving enforcement to reduce the number of crashes and victims. Some of the most common reckless driving infractions in Virginia… Read More »
The Three Ps Of Drug Possession In Winchester
There is good news and bad news regarding drug possession arrests in Virginia. Marijuana is partially legal, so these arrests have plummeted. Furthermore, racial disparity has dropped as well. Now for the bad news. Law enforcement officers are still very aggressive in this area. 80 percent of drug arrests are for simple possession. Drug… Read More »
When Can Officers Pull Me Over For DUI?
To detain suspects, according to a 1968 Supreme Court ruling, prosecutors must prove that officers had reasonable suspicion. Over the past ten years, the Supremes have watered down this rule and given police officers more leeway in this area. So, Loudoun County judges now often rule in favor of police officers in close cases…. Read More »
Woman Sentenced To Eight Months For Drug Trafficking
According to prosecutors, the 37-year-old woman sold a mixture of fentanyl and heroin to a confidential informant. According to court documents and statements made in court, the woman sold a quantity of heroin to a confidential informant at a Shady Spring residence where she was staying. State police confirmed the controlled substance contained heroin… Read More »
Five Kinds of Reckless Driving In Virginia
Article 7 § 46.2-852 defines reckless driving as operating a vehicle in a public place “in a manner so as to endanger the life, limb, or property of any person.” That broad definition could apply to practically any moving violation. It could also apply to most non-moving violations, although the argument is tougher to… Read More »
Defense Strategies In Domestic Violence Cases
During coronavirus lockdowns, domestic violence incidents, which were already high, increased significantly. Pandemic stress was too much for some people, especially when other outlets, like going out with friends, were unavailable. These facts don’t excuse their behavior, but they do explain it. Due to various delays, many of these lockdown-era cases are just now… Read More »
Politicians Approve Tough New Criminal Laws
Republicans in the General Assembly worked with Attorney General Jason Miyares to pass a sweeping package of criminal laws. Most of the roughly one dozen bills relate to prescription drug crimes and probation matters. Others include a “Swatting” bill which targets people who falsely summon law enforcement officers in order to harass others, an… Read More »
Defending Domestic Violence Matters In Court
Since the coronavirus pandemic hit American shores, the domestic violence rate, which was already high, has increased significantly. During lockdowns, many Americans developed some bad personal habits, and a propensity to domestic violence was one of them. Due to coronavirus shutdowns, many of these cases are just now winding their way through Loudoun County… Read More »
Five Important Rights In Federal Court
Federal prosecutors are very aggressive, and they have almost unlimited resources to back up their aggressive attitudes. Usually, the only protection defendants have against powerful prosecutors are in the Bill of Rights. The first ten amendments to the U.S. Constitution include important rights for defendants in criminal court. These important rights could be the… Read More »
The Three Ps Of Drug Possession
Virginia declared war on drugs in the 1960s, and that war continues today. However, the battle ground has shifted to drug possession. Almost 90 percent of the drug-related arrests in Loudoun County are for simple possession. Police officers make lots of possession arrests mostly because they believe these cases are easy to prove in… Read More »
