Since 2020, changes to the disciplinary process for law enforcement officers have driven up decertifications of wayward cops and prison guards. But a new law may shield investigators’ records and hearings from the public
Read moreVirginia is in the minority of states keeping even the most basic police data secret
A recruitment poster for the Norfolk, Virginia Police Department hangs inside a New York City subway train in July 2022. Photo by Dan Morisson // VCIJ at WHRO
In the wake of George Floyd’s murder by Minneapolis police, Virginia lawmakers took action on reports that state policing regulators failed to strip the police certifications from dozens of officers with criminal convictions ranging from embezzlement to possession of child pornography and sexual assault.
The Legislature passed a bill in October 2020 requiring police departments to complete internal investigations even if officers resign during them, and to provide any records of misconduct to new prospective employers for officers; strengthening the requirements for agencies to send reports of misconduct to state regulators; expanding the offenses for which officers can be stripped of their certifications; and requiring a state board to write a statewide standard of conduct for policing.
Three years later, barely anything has changed.
Read moreAmid high-profile shootings, Virginia gun policy remains a stalemate
Students on the Virginia Tech campus in Blacksburg, VA, mourn the more than 30 people killed on campus during a candle light vigil on the campus. Burruss Hall is in the background. Photo taken April 17, 2007. Photo by Christopher Tyree/file for The Virginian-Pilot.
In the wake of the 2007 Virginia Tech massacre, elected leaders vowed to prioritize campus safety.
Then-Gov. Tim Kaine appointed a blue-ribbon panel and within a year signed more than 30 mental health, school security and gun purchase bills aimed at preventing future mass shootings. Several appeals for stricter gun policies, however, were voted down.
More than 15 years later, in the aftermath of another school shooting — this time at the University of Virginia, where three students were shot and killed in November — state lawmakers considered a range of gun policy proposals: a ban on new assault-style weapons, new punishments for those who fail to secure their guns, an expansion of the state’s “red flag” law and restrictions on possessing firearms in school buildings.
But just one major safety measure survived: a $300 tax credit for firearms owners to purchase gun safes. A second bill requiring public universities to more quickly and comprehensively respond to a potential threat passed the House and Senate but still awaits Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s signature.
Read moreHow a former nightclub singer became Virginia’s most powerful and tireless advocate for inmates
John Coggeshall – or “Cog,” as most knew him — played many roles in his 71 years: actor, musician, nightclub singer, occasional political candidate and dogged defense lawyer.
His tireless devotion to one client, wrongfully sentenced Travion Blount, offered a final role: successful crusader for dozens of inmates unjustly trapped in harsh prison terms. He helped change laws — and dozens of lives — in Virginia and beyond.
Coggeshall died June 19. The cause was cancer, family members said. His wife, Aileen, died just months before his passing.
Read moreVirginia Voices // In Virginia prisons, fear spreads with virus
David Braxton, 45, has spent nearly half his life behind bars in Virginia prisons. The Covid-19 pandemic has added another threat to the state's overcrowded prison system, with more than 5,000 prisoners testing positive for the virus. Braxton, at Augusta Correctional Center, says the crisis has put inmates on edge.
(photo courtesy of Donna Braxton)
David Braxton, 45, has spent nearly half his life behind bars in Virginia prisons. The Covid-19 pandemic has added another threat to the state's overcrowded prison system, with more than 5,000 prisoners testing positive for the virus. Braxton, at Augusta Correctional Center, says the crisis has put inmates on edge.
Read moreA statue can come down in a day. Dismantling an unjust system takes much longer
Travion Blount, who was released from prison in February after being sentenced to six life terms, jogs up Mount Trashmore Park in Virginia Beach.
A statue can come down in a day. Dismantling an unjust system takes much longer
The case of Travion Blount illustrates how Virginia’s juvenile justice system can throw away the lives of teen offenders.
Read more