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The Safeway Four: Armed Robbers Sentenced
Three defendants sentenced to 35 years each; another sentenced to 12 years.
It was a crime that shocked Old Town, an armed robbery that rattled a neighborhood where most of the illicit activity is limited to petty theft from unlocked vehicles.
Reclusive Former Sheriff Dies; Mystery of His Wife’s Murder Remains Unsolved
After years on the public stage, Jim Dunning withdrew after the death of his wife.
James Herbert Dunning, the once popular sheriff who became increasingly reclusive after the mysterious 2003 murder of his wife, died last week at his home in Hilton Head, S.C.
Happyland on Edge: Quiet Suburban Neighborhood Rocked by Unsolved Murders
Residents worried that a serial killer may be on the loose.
The late Ellen Pickering used to call North Ridge "Happyland," a quiet suburban stretch of the city where neighbors knew each other and the most shocking crime that happens is when someone's car is broken into.
Dreams Taken Away: Julian Dawkins Remembered as Hard Worker with Sense of Humor
Arlington Sheriff's deputy charged with murdering 22-year-old Alexandria man.
Just a few hours after Alexandria police charged an Arlington Sheriff's deputy with murdering Julian Dawkins, hundreds of friends and relatives packed Antioch Baptist Church on Queen Street for an emotional funeral.
Starting from a Clean Slate
Compromise on expungement: automatic for some misdemeanors, petition for some felonies.
Marijuana convictions will be automatically expunged under a bill now under consideration by Gov. Ralph Northam, although convictions for crack cocaine will require missing a day of work and probably hiring a lawyer to go to court and seal the record. The legislation is a compromise crafted late in the General Assembly session by House Majority Leader Charniele Herring of Alexandria and state Sen. Scott Surovell (D-36), who clashed repeatedly over the last year about how the process should work.
Lenny Harris: From Missing to Murdered
Maryland man confesses to crime; three or four more suspects remain on the loose.
Since last summer, friends and supporters of missing Alexandria civic activist Lenny Harris have been hoping and praying that he would show up.
Casting a Ballot
Recent changes to voting make casting a ballot easier than ever.
Recent changes to voting make casting a ballot easier than ever.
911 Call from Patterson Played in Court as Part of Preliminary Hearing
Off-duty Arlington sheriff's deputy says he shot knife-wielding young man.
Craig Patterson sat stonefaced in a green jumpsuit as his voice boomed from speakers in the courtroom.
Hidden History of St. Asaph Racetrack
Del Ray was once home to an infamous gambling operation creating by a double-dealing senator.
You’d never know it today, but Del Ray was once the capital of gambling in Northern Virginia.
Public Information Comes at a Price in Arlington
Billing system includes $30 charge for six-line summary of secret investigation.
Want a booking photo in a high profile case? Prepare to pay $24.
Automated Justice?
Lawmakers to consider automatic expungements for misdemeanors.
Virginia is one of 10 states that offers almost no way for people convicted of misdemeanors to expunge their records, creating roadblocks for people trying to get a job or rent an apartment. Even when a jury finds defendants in Virginia not guilty or when prosecutors dropped charges, allegations remain on records as a stain that can cause problems for years to come. That’s why lawmakers are about to consider a proposal from the Virginia Crime Commission on automatic expungement, which is expected to be released early next week.
Federal Prosecutors Uncover Schoolyard Prostitution Ring in Suburban Fairfax County
U.S. Attorney: Underground Gangster Crips led prostitution ring that spanned Northern Virginia.
The high school girls were threatened with violence if they attempted to leave. They were sexually exploited by customers of the sex trafficking operation as well as the men who ran the prostitution ring.
Up in Smoke
Black market to remain underground for now as lawmakers reject licensing scheme.
Cannabis
Morton Sherman Era Draws to Dramatic Close at Alexandria City Public Schools
Controversial superintendent oversaw school system during tumultuous five-year term.
As members of the Alexandria School Board were behind closed doors in a one-hour executive session last week, Glenn Hopkins was thumbing through a draft report he was preparing to the release from the Student Achievement Advisory Committee.
More for Enforcement, Less for Assistance
Since the recession, funding has increased for public safety but decreased for social services.
Since the recession, spending on public safety in Alexandria has increased year after year. According to documents from the Virginia Auditor of Public Accounts, that category of government spending has increased 38 percent since 2010 as city leaders increased salaries for police officials and funded new positions at the city’s emergency communications center. But during that same time, spending on health and welfare programs has increased only 12 percent. Spending on social services has actually gone down since 2010.
Controlling Gun Violence
After assault weapons stumble, lawmakers limit guns at polling places and government buildings.
Fulfilling their campaign promises to take action against gun violence, Democrats in the General Assembly are sending Gov. Ralph Northam several gun-violence prevention bills.
From Medicaid to Broadband, Northern Virginia Lawmakers Prepare for Raucous Session
Democrats plan to use new numbers to accomplish wide-ranging agenda.
This year’s General Assembly will be like no other. For starters, members walking the halls of the Capitol will look different. The crop of freshman includes the first transgender woman to serve in the Virginia General Assembly, the first lesbian, the first Asian-American women and the first two Latinas. Gone are the 12 Republican members who were unseated, all white males. Also gone are the three members who got out before the bloodbath that flipped their seats from red to blue, also all white males. In their place is a diverse and young group of new members who are eager to make their mark on the commonwealth.
Dangling Liberty
Lawmakers to consider putting pretextual stops in the rearview mirror.
Do you have a parking pass dangling from your rearview mirror? What about rosary beads or a graduation tassel? Police officers can use that as a pretext to pull you over and ask to search your car.
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