Three men were charged with a shooting on Virginia’s Interstate 264 at around 1:40 a.m. A Ford Fiesta was believed to have been the make of the car from which the shots were fired. The car initially refused to stop, but when it finally pulled over the three men were taken into custody without incident. During the traffic stop, the troopers found two handguns in the vehicle. The driver was charged with carrying a concealed weapon, shooting from a motor vehicle, and driving while suspended while the two passengers were charged with shooting from a motor vehicle. The three men were taken to the Virginia Beach Jail where they are being held without bond.
Without Incident
When a person is accused of a crime or arrested, regardless of whether he or she committed the crime, he or she will probably be confused and frightened and will not fully understand what is going on. In this case the three men were taken into custody without incident. This means that the troopers we able to arrest the three men without a warrant because they had probable cause to believe that they committed a felony. In this case the troopers will argue that the probable cause stemmed from the fact they knew they were looking for a Ford Fiesta linked to the shooting and that the car did not pull over right away. An experienced criminal lawyer will be able to determine whether the arrest violated the defendants’ constitutional rights.
Held Without Bond
Virginia and the Constitution of the United States does not require the court to provide the right to bail in criminal cases. Bail is when a person is released from custody prior to trial. Many times the person is subject to specific conditions that he or she must abide by. A bond is what is posted prior to a person’s pre-trial release. The bond is a written promise to pay a specific sum as a condition of bail. In this case when it says that the men were held without bond, it means that a bail has not been set. In Virginia, a court can not post an excessive bail or subject the accused to unusual inflicted punishments. The whole point of bail is to enable a person to stay out of jail unless he or she is ultimately found guilty. However, there are circumstances that make a judge more likely to hold someone without bond. For example, if a person is considered a flight risk or a danger to society, a judge will probably not release him or her on bond.
Assert Your Sixth Amendment Right
If you are charged with a criminal offense, under the sixth amendment you have the right to counsel from an attorney. An Attorney like Jad Sarsour can help you understand your claims and make sure that you do not agree to a plea that will end up causing more harm than good. Contact our firm at 703-385-6868 so we can help you understand your options and potential defenses that are available.