(SB764)
GOVERNOR'S VETO
Pursuant to Article V, Section 6, of the Constitution of Virginia, I veto Senate Bill 764, which would significantly expand the use of deferred dispositions in criminal cases. The enrolled bill would permit the lessening or removal of penalties across a range of crimes.
Senate Bill 764 removes key guardrails that help ensure consistency and fairness, and it pre-empts a Commonwealth's Attorney's ability to prosecute some cases.
I am particularly concerned about the application of this bill to DUI offenses. Virginia has worked hard to reduce DUI-related crashes and fatalities, but impaired driving continues to take lives and devastate families across the Commonwealth.