Law

Democrats in Virginia’s General Assembly advanced proposals on everything from solitary confinement to legalizing marijuana as their session hit its effective half-way point.

The Virginia House and Senate have both approved landmark legislation to abolish the death penalty in the commonwealth. Gov. Ralph Northam said he plans to sign the bill into law once it reaches his desk.

State lawmakers are moving at breakneck speed to legalize recreational marijuana in Virginia and provide a clean slate for thousands of people previously convicted of marijuana offenses.

Legislators attempted to pass a bill that would expand the definition of a hate crime to include crimes against people based on perception, but opponents said the bill was too broad and could be misused.

Virginia Democrats say they want to give people with criminal histories a second chance -- by scrubbing their records once they’ve completed their sentences. But legislators have been unable to agree on how it should be done, getting stuck on key details, including which offenses should be eligible for expungement and whether they should be scrubbed automatically.

A proposal to end the death penalty in Virginia has received support from some murder victim's families, who say they want to avoid lengthy trials that require them to relive the trauma of losing loved ones.

Richard Walker, who aims to unseat Del. Jeff Bourne in the Democratic primary, is running on a platform of criminal justice reform and solving the housing crisis.

A bill to end mandatory minimum sentences in Virginia cleared its first hurdle in the General Assembly Monday.

A Virginia family is mourning the death of 18-year-old Xzavier Hill, who was shot and killed by Virginia State Troopers earlier this month. Hill’s family said the shooting was unjustified, and they are calling on state police to release dashcam footage to prove he was cooperating with officers.

The Virginia Department of Corrections is offering care packages and free phone calls to people incarcerated in prisons who take the coronavirus vaccine. Advocates say the deal sends the wrong message.