Criminal Law
A Section of the Virginia State Bar.
Section News and Information
May 28, 2009
Case Clarification Rowe v. Commonwealth (May 2009 Criminal Law News)
The latest newsletter reported that Rowe v. Commonwealth, 277 Va. 495 “upheld” agreements between municipalities that give officers from one jurisdiction authority to enforce the laws of the Commonwealth. Actually, the court’s opinion “applied” such an agreement to uphold a conviction for assault of a law-enforcement officer, but the court noted that the statute authorizing such agreements was not challenged by the defendant, thus the court expressed no opinion on the validity of the statute. 5-26-09