Virginia lawmakers defeat ‘second look’ bill to allow inmates to ask court for reduced sentences

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — A bill that would have allowed people with lengthy prison terms to petition a court to consider reducing their sentences after serving a minimum of 15 years was defeated in the Virginia General Assembly on Wednesday.

This is the third consecutive year that a so-called second look measure failed to pass. The Senate bill, sponsored by Sen. Creigh Deeds, called for setting up a three-tier system for inmates to request sentence modification after they have served at least 15, 20 or 25 years, depending on the crime.

The House Appropriations Committee voted to carry the Senate bill over to next year, effectively killing its chances of passage in 2024. A similar measure in the House died earlier this month.

Under Deeds’ bill, inmates serving time for a range of crimes — including larceny, arson, rape and some murder convictions — would be eligible to file for reduce sentences, but crime victims and prosecutors would have to support a petition before a hearing could be granted. A judge would ultimately decide. People people serving time for aggravated murder would not be eligible.

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