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The REAL I.D. Driver’s License
Virginians should obtain a REAL ID from their local DMV on or before October 1, 2021 if they wish to continue using their driver’s license for identification purposes to fly on a commercial airline, enter a military facility, enter a nuclear facility, or to enter a...
Gambling in Virginia
For centuries, certain religions have preached against the evils of gambling. They claim that gambling leads to addiction and the squandering of needed resources that would otherwise be used to take care of one’s family. They claim that gambling addiction...
New Minimum Wage Laws in Virginia… Good for Some, Maybe Not for Others
For many years, the federal minimum wage has been set at $7.25 per hour. Over the last few years, across the country, states and large corporations have been voluntarily increasing their starting wages, perhaps in anticipation of the law changing. There have been hot...
Virginia Bans No-Knock Warrants
In late 2020, the Virginia Governor signed into law a bill that prohibited the use of no-knock warrants. This law came into being after Breonna Taylor was tragically shot and killed by an officer who entered her home without first announcing that he was...
So, You Want to Open a Marijuana Dispensary in Virginia?
By 1930 most states had criminalized the possession of marijuana. In 1970 the federal government outlawed all cannabis use. Nearly 100 years later, in 2020, the Virginia Assembly essentially decriminalized the personal use of marijuana by reducing the penalty to a...
Distracted Driving and Cell Phones
The year 2020 shocked our nation and the world with the Covid-19 Pandemic, deaths, closed schools, closed businesses, mask mandates, and more. Thousands have died, millions have lost their jobs and businesses, leading to frustration, worry, and anxiety. So, you could...
Road & Bridge Tolls: Virginia Lawmakers Declare War On the Working Poor Part – Two
Depending on the tolling facility, the collection agency and the court; a $36.00 toll could balloon into a $17,000.00 bill including fees and penalties; or a $50.00 toll could become a $31,000.00 debt including administrative fees. In Virginia, one woman saw $256.00...
Road & Bridge Tolls: Virginia Lawmakers Declare War on the Working Poor – Part One
In my practice I have seen clients that owe tens of thousands of dollars in road and bridge tolls. In most cases, they have traveled across one or more of Hampton Road's toll bridges and failed to pay the tolls, administrative fees and penalties. It has been reported...
Virginia Passes New Firearms Laws That Prohibit the Possession of a Firearm While Subject to a Protective Order
On July 1, 2016 House Bill 1391 (Virginia Code section 18.8-308.1:4) became law, making it a class six felony to possess a firearm while subject to a protective order. If convicted of possessing a firearm while subject to a protective order, you could face up to five...
Congressional Term Limits
I don’t often write on political matters – however, in honor of this historic Presidential election, I will make an exception. Term limits have been around for over a thousand years and are found in governments around the world. In 1951 the USA amended its...