Law & Crime

A new poll commissioned by the Marijuana Policy Project shows 60% of Virginians think it’s time to decriminalize marijuana, and three out of four voters think seriously ill people should have legal access to medical marijuana. 

Former Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell has been sentenced to two years in prison for corruption. He’s due to report to prison by February 9th.

The judge’s punishment was far below the 10 years prosecutors wanted, but still more than the community service that  the former governor and hundreds of supporters asked for.

Speaking to reporters after the sentencing, McDonnell said he was a fallen human being.

As Virginia’s legislature considers a bill to decriminalize marijuana, some critics worry that doing so will send the wrong message to kids who may already view the drug as harmless, and the prospect of legalization sends some parents into a panic. 

Maryland, North Carolina and the District of Columbia have ditched criminal penalties for possession and cultivation of small amounts of marijuana for personal use, and State Senator Adam Ebbin thinks it’s time for Virginia to do likewise. 

For years, the city of Charlottesville has debated whether to install security cameras in public places. 

Opponents have successfully argued that surveillance in public places is an invasion of privacy, but with the disappearance and death of University of Virginia student Hannah Graham, public sentiment may have shifted. 

Since 2007, Charlottesville’s chief of police has been asking City Council to install surveillance cameras on the Downtown Mall. This week, he brought the City's top prosecutor to make the case.

When he's sentenced tomorrow will a former Virginia Governor get a slap on the wrist with community service or a short time in prison for 11 corruption convictions—or will U.S. District Judge James Spencer sentence him to a lengthy stint behind bars?