Petition for modification of sentence; eligibility, procedures. (HB906)
Introduced By
Del. Carrie Coyner (R-Chesterfield)
Progress
✓ |
Introduced |
✗ |
Passed Committee |
☐ |
Passed House |
☐ |
Passed Senate |
☐ |
Signed by Governor |
☐ |
Became Law |
Description
Petition for modification of sentence; eligibility; procedures. Provides a petition process for a person serving a sentence for any conviction or a combination of any convictions who remains incarcerated in a state or local correctional facility and meets certain criteria to petition the circuit court that entered the original judgment or order to (i) suspend the unserved portion of such sentence or run the unserved portion of such sentence concurrently with another sentence, (ii) place such person on probation for such time as the court shall determine, or (iii) otherwise modify the sentence imposed. Read the Bill »
Outcome
Bill Has Failed
History
| Date | Action |
|---|---|
| 01/12/2022 | Committee |
| 01/12/2022 | Prefiled and ordered printed; offered 01/12/22 22103925D |
| 01/12/2022 | Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice |
| 02/11/2022 | Impact statement from DPB (HB906) |
| 02/15/2022 | Left in Courts of Justice |
Comments
This is a disturbingly radical bill, so it is surprising to see it having a sponsor in each party.
Even the progressive Washington Post, which supports lenient criminal-justice policies, editorialized against the DC bill on which this bill was modeled, calling it "radical."
The Post called it a "bill to reduce sentences for violent" felons that "goes too far," in an editorial posted on December 25, 2019. (See "A Bill to Reduce Sentence for Violent DC Felons Goes Too Far").
The Washington Post said "the measure would embrace a radical rejection of transparency in sentencing and straight dealings with victims."
The Post's editorial dealt with a milder earlier version of this bill, that only allowed early release after 15 years for offenders who committed their crimes under age 25. This bill is more extreme, allowing early release after a mere 10 years for offenders who committed their crimes under age 25 (in addition to allowing early release after 15 years for offenders who committed their crimes at over age 25).
This bill is based on DC's radical "Second Look Act," one of an array of soft-on-crime criminal-justice policies that have given the District of Columbia a violent crime rate five times as high as Virginia's, resulting in many additional deaths and rapes.
The Post's editorial can be found at this link:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/a-bill-to-reduce-sentences-for-violent-dc-felons-goes-too-far/2019/12/25/fdbd52ba-e6e2-11e9-a331-2df12d56a80b_story.html
This bill would increase the violent crime rate, according to a blog post at the Bacon's Rebellion blog. (Bacon's Rebellion is a blog that focuses on Virginia public policy).
That blog post can be found at this link: https://www.baconsrebellion.com/wp/second-look-bill-would-cut-sentences-for-violent-criminals/