GOVERNOR'S VETO

Pursuant to Article V, Section 6, of the Constitution of Virginia, I veto House Bill 457, which establishes criteria to reduce a defendant’s supervised probation period.

Many of the offenders covered by the proposal committed serious crimes and demonstrated their capacity to act as dangerous individuals.

Courts determine the length of probation based on the severity and circumstances of a crime, while probation officers oversee rehabilitation. Requiring a reduction in the probation period without a hearing poses a risk of offenders losing valuable oversight and guidance from the probation system.

Accordingly, I veto this bill.