Virginia Circuit Court, 1988

Commonwealth v. Thomas

Commonwealth v. Thomas
Virginia Circuit Court · Decided October 17, 1988 · Sachs
13 Va. Cir. 382; 1988 Va. Cir. LEXIS 398
Commonwealth v. Thomas

Opinion of the Court

By JUDGE LEONARD B. SACHS

After considering the matter, I have concluded that the statute which deals with the use of a firearm in the commission of a robbery necessarily includes a sawed-off shotgun, which is a "firearm."

By definition (Section 18.2-299 (2)) a "crime of violence" includes robbery by statutory definition.

Accordingly, the court would hold that there would be a double jeopardy violation if the defendant were to be prosecuted upon or convicted under both sections of the Code (Section 18.2-53.1 and Section 18.2-300).

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