Assault and Battery

Virginia Court Sides with Defendant in Domestic Violence Case, Given Defendant’s Mental State at the Time of the Offense

Published on: October 22, 2022 | by Robinson Law, PLLC

In a recent appellate opinion regarding a defendant’s violent behavior and eventual killing of his wife, the court agreed with the defendant’s arguments and reversed his guilty conviction. According to the court, there was a significant chance that the defendant acted violently because he suffered from extreme mental illness. Given this possibility, the court vacated the defendant’s guilty conviction.

Facts of the Case

According to the opinion, the defendant’s wife told him she wanted a divorce in March 2017. Infuriated, the defendant began acting violently. He committed several serious domestic violence offenses against his wife, strangling her with his hands and a pair of pajama bottoms.

The defendant’s wife died from injuries related to the incident. The defendant called 911 himself to report what he had done, telling the 911 operator that he had heard voices controlling his mind that told him to commit the offense. When officers arrived at the scene of the crime, the defendant made no attempt to hide what he had done.

Virginia Defendant Unsuccessfully Appeals Manslaughter Conviction

Published on: August 11, 2022 | by Robinson Law, PLLC

In a recent opinion coming out of a Virginia court, the defendant appealed his conviction of aggravated involuntary manslaughter and his sentence of 20 years in prison. On appeal, the defendant’s main argument was that the evidence used at trial was not sufficient to result in a guilty conviction. Looking at the evidence, the court of appeals disagreed and affirmed the original conviction.

Facts of the Case

According to the opinion, the defendant in this case was at a nightclub one night with friends – over the course of the evening, he consumed seven beers and considered himself competent enough to drive home. Around 2:00am, the defendant got in his car and left the bar, later colliding with another vehicle as he was driving home.

A witness to the accident reported that he saw the defendant’s car speeding through the light. The force of the collision launched the second car off the road and up an embankment, at which point the second car struck a pole. The driver of the second car died immediately from blind force trauma to his head.

Virginia Defendant Loses Appeal in Strangulation Case, Despite Argument Regarding Insufficiency of Evidence

Published on: July 25, 2022 | by Robinson Law, PLLC

In a recent criminal case coming out of a Virginia court, the defendant unsuccessfully appealed his conviction for strangulation. The original charges against the defendant were brought when the defendant’s girlfriend told police officers that the defendant had strangled her one morning in the shower. After being found guilty at trial, the defendant appealed, arguing the evidence left reasonable doubt as to whether he was indeed guilty of strangling his girlfriend. The higher court disagreed, and the defendant ultimately lost his appeal.

Facts of the Case

According to the opinion, the defendant’s girlfriend was in the shower one morning when the defendant noticed that another man had recently liked her post on Facebook. Immediately suspicious, the defendant approached his girlfriend and asked her what was going on. He then proceeded to get in the shower to choke her, yelling at her and leaving her with bruises and scratches on her body.

The defendant left the bathroom and quickly returned with a gun. He threatened to kill his girlfriend and continued to choke her. The defendant’s girlfriend tried to escape, but the defendant stopped her at the front door and began to strangle her again. Eventually, she was able to run out of the apartment and flee to a neighbor’s house, where she immediately called 911.

Virginia Court Denies Defendant’s Appeal Despite Argument Regarding Constitutional Right to Speedy Trial

Published on: June 10, 2022 | by Robinson Law, PLLC

In a recent case coming out of a Virginia court, the defendant’s appeal of his unlawful wounding conviction was denied. On appeal, the defendant argued that the court left too much time between the date he was arrested and the date of his trial. Because defendants in the United States and in Virginia have the constitutional right to a speedy trial, the defendant argued that his rights were violated and his conviction should be overturned. After examining the facts, the court disagreed with the defendant and denied the appeal.

Facts of the Case

According to the opinion, the defendant was criminally charged after he wounded an acquaintance in July 2019. He was arrested a couple of months later, and he was subsequently denied bail. His jury trial was scheduled for March 16, 2020, but the court’s emergency orders resulting from COVID-19 delayed any court proceedings that were supposed to take place starting mid-March. The defendant’s trial was pushed back, and he remained in custody while he awaited a new date.

Due to the pandemic, scheduling delays, and requests for continuances from the defendant’s counsel, the defendant’s trial ended up taking place in November 2020. After trial, the defendant was sentenced to five years in prison. He promptly appealed his conviction.

Virginia Court Partially Affirms and Partially Reverses Defendant’s Convictions for Neglecting Her Adult Mother

Published on: April 23, 2022 | by Robinson Law, PLLC

In a recent opinion coming out of a Virginia court, the defendant’s arguments were partially successful in appealing her guilty convictions. Originally, the defendant was convicted of financially exploiting an incapacitated adult and of abusing or neglecting an incapacitated adult. As a result of the defendant’s arguments on appeal, the court reversed the financial exploitation conviction and affirmed the abuse or neglect conviction.

Facts of the Case

According to the opinion, the defendant, a woman in her fifties, lived with her mother, who was in her eighties at the time of this case. In the years prior to this conviction, a social worker had visited the defendant and her mother several times, since it seemed the defendant was not adequately caring for her mother in the apartment. The mother relied on her daughter for financial support, sponge baths, and other personal hygiene matters. The social worker had reported on various occasions that the defendant’s mother often smelled of urine, that neither the defendant nor her mother had a bed to sleep on but instead slept on a couch and a chair, and that both parties had refused many of the social worker’s services when she had come to visit.

One day in 2020, the defendant’s mother fell. Two days later, a pest control worker found the defendant and her mother in their apartment and promptly called 911. The defendant’s mother was taken to the hospital, and the doctors reported that she was covered in feces, urine, and bed bugs at the time she was admitted. She had been lying on the floor for two days before she received care, and she was suffering from bedsores that showed the risk of infection. After being discharged, the defendant’s mother died in hospice care a couple of months later.

Virginia Court Affirms Defendant’s Assault and Battery Conviction

Published on: January 10, 2022 | by Robinson Law, PLLC

In a recent opinion from a Virginia court, the defendant’s appeal in her assault and battery case was denied. The defendant was originally found guilty of acting violently towards a police officer when the officer came to investigate an emergency call at the defendant’s place of residence. On appeal, the defendant argued the officer was trespassing on her property and that it was thus her right to try and push him out of the home. The court disagreed, finding the defendant’s actions unreasonable and affirming her guilty verdict.

Facts of the Case

According to the opinion, an officer in Virginia was dispatched to the defendant’s home one evening after 10:00 pm. At the time, the officer was not sure why the emergency call had been placed or what exactly was happening in the defendant’s place of residence. When the officer arrived, he found the defendant yelling at a man who was standing on the front porch. The man explained to the police officer that he lived at the home and wanted to get his belongings from inside. The defendant yelled towards the officer that the man had acted physically violent and that he was not welcome in her home.

The next few minutes, as depicted later on the officer’s body cam, were chaotic. While standing on the porch, the officer tried to calmly explain that he wanted to speak with one person at a time. The defendant tried to slam the door in the officer’s face, but the officer placed his foot in the way of the closing door to prevent the defendant from shutting him out. The officer forced himself into the residence and attempted to handcuff the defendant. Meanwhile, the defendant resisted, yelled at the officer and swung her arm at the officer to elbow him three different times.

Appealing a Virginia Criminal Conviction Based on Multiple Errors

Published on: March 18, 2021 | by Robinson Law, PLLC

The Virginia criminal justice system is a complex institution that often leaves criminal defendants confused about their rights and remedies. In most Virginia criminal cases, a defendant can appeal a conviction after a court or jury finds them guilty. The United States Constitution and state laws govern what cases and issues a defendant may appeal. Many defendants unknowingly forfeit their rights to appeal because of the fundamental disparity in power during these proceedings. Appeals can take a significant amount of time, and it is essential that criminal defendants seek assistance to ensure that they present all relevant appeals to the court.

In some cases, a criminal defendant may appeal several issues based on various procedural or statutory errors. For instance, recently, a Virginia defendant appealed his conviction based on eight issues. The defendant appealed his drug possession with intent to distribute conviction and his revocation of a suspended sentence. His crux of the appeal was based on an alleged violation of his Fourth Amendment rights and his assertion that the Commonwealth made erroneous additions to his transcript.

In cases where a Virginia appellant contests their conviction, the court should address each assignment of error. Here, the appeals court addressed each issue in their opinion and ultimately affirmed the conviction. In some instances, a court may deny an otherwise meritorious appeal because of a procedural issue. These situations illustrate the importance of retaining a criminal defense attorney who has a comprehensive understanding of Virginia criminal procedure.

Motions to Suppress Statements Made Before an Arrest in Virginia

Published on: December 10, 2020 | by Robinson Law, PLLC

Recently a state appellate court issued a decision in a defendant’s appeal regarding statements he made to police prior to his arrest in a Virginia assault case. The case arose when police questioned the defendant about his involvement in a shooting while he was receiving treatment for a gunshot wound at a hospital. Hospital staff contacted police after admitting the man for a gunshot wound. Initially, detectives were unsure whether the defendant was a victim or a perpetrator. There were four detectives and a security guard present while two detectives questioned the defendant about his involvement. During questioning, the defendant’s family member arrived and remained in the room.

Additionally, hospital staff continued to provide medical treatment and collect identification and insurance information from the defendant. Following the questioning, the detective went to another hospital to interview two shooting victims who were believed to be involved in the incident. At that point, they discovered that the defendant was the perpetrator. After the defendant was discharged from the hospital, detectives escorted him to the police department, advised him of his Miranda rights, and arrested him. On appeal, the defendant filed a motion to suppress the statements he made to the detectives at the hospital. He argued that his statements were made in the absence of a Miranda warning.

Under Virginia law, police must advise anyone accused in a criminal case of their Miranda rights before conducting a police interrogation. However, Miranda warnings are unnecessary when the interviewee’s freedom has not been restricted in a way that amounts to being “in custody.” There are various factors that courts use to determine whether a suspect was in custody. These factors include, how the person was summoned to the police, the neutrality of the surroundings, the number of officers present, the degree of physical restraint, the duration and character of the interrogation, and the extent to which the interviewee believed the police found them culpable.

Virginia Court Rejects Defendant’s Claim that She Was Entitled to Resist Arrest Because Officer Was Trespassing

Published on: September 8, 2020 | by Robinson Law, PLLC

Earlier this year, a state appellate court issued a written opinion in a Virginia assault case discussing whether there was sufficient evidence to sustain the defendant’s convictions. Ultimately, the court rejected the defendant’s arguments, affirming her convictions.

The Facts of the Case

According to the court’s opinion, a police officer received a call from the defendant’s home. Upon arriving, the officer parked in the driveway. As he got out of the car, the officer could hear screaming. Moments later, the officer noticed several people standing on the porch, with the defendant in the doorway.

A man on the porch addressed the officer, explaining that he had lived at the home and wanted to get inside to get his belongings. The defendant began shouting that the man had “put his hands on her.” The officer walked up the porch and began to talk to the man. The defendant continued to yell and argue with the man. When the officer told her to stop yelling, she tried to shut the door. The officer put his foot in the threshold to prevent the door from closing.