{"id":376911,"date":"2016-03-31T21:37:07","date_gmt":"2016-04-01T02:37:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/content.findlaw-admin.com\/ability-law\/state\/virginia-law\/virginia-capital-punishment-laws.html"},"modified":"2024-12-05T15:38:40","modified_gmt":"2024-12-05T20:38:40","slug":"virginia-capital-punishment-laws","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/state\/virginia-law\/virginia-capital-punishment-laws.html","title":{"rendered":"Virginia Capital Punishment Laws"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Virginia Capital Punishment Laws<\/h1>\n
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\n By Samuel Strom, J.D.<\/a> | Legally reviewed by FindLaw Staff<\/a>\n | Last updated\n
\n \n <\/i>\n Legally Reviewed\n <\/summary>\n\n
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This article has been written and reviewed for legal accuracy, clarity, and style by FindLaw\u2019s team of legal writers and attorneys<\/a> and in accordance with our editorial standards<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/details>\n\n

\n \n <\/i>\n Fact-Checked\n <\/summary>\n\n
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The last updated date refers to the last time this article was reviewed by FindLaw or one of our contributing authors<\/a>. We make every effort to keep our articles updated. For information regarding a specific legal issue affecting you, please contact an attorney in your area<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/details>\n<\/section>\n

In 2021, the Commonwealth of Virginia abolished capital punishment, also known as the death penalty. When Gov. Ralph Northam signed the bill into law, Virginia became the 23rd state to abolish death sentences and the first southern state of the former Confederacy to do so.<\/p>\r\n

Virginia has perhaps the most tumultuous history of the death penalty of any state in America. As the Death Penalty Information Center notes, the state executed 73% of its death row inmates between 1976 and 2017<\/a>. The national average execution rate during that time was 16%. The historical background section below contains more information on this statistic and the history of Virginia’s death row.<\/p>\r\n

The most severe sentence for a criminal conviction in Virginia is life imprisonment without the possibility of parole.<\/p>\r\n

Overview of Virginia Capital Punishment Laws<\/b><\/h2>\r\n

The chart below summarizes the basics of Virginia’s capital punishment laws. For more articles and resources, see FindLaw’s Death Penalty<\/a> section.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Code section<\/th>\r\n

None<\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>

Is capital punishment allowed?<\/th>\r\n

No<\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr><\/tbody><\/table>\r\n

Note:<\/b> Legislatures often repeal and amend state laws. Contact a <\/i>Virginia criminal defense attorney<\/i><\/a> or conduct your own legal research to verify the state laws you are researching. If someone has charged you with a serious crime, work with your public defender or contact a criminal defense attorney to protect your rights.<\/i><\/p>\r\n

A Brief History of Capital Punishment in Virginia<\/b><\/h2>\r\n

The area we know today as Virginia was the location of the first known execution in Colonial times. The execution took place in Jamestown, Virginia. The Jamestown Colony executed Captain George Kendall in 1608 for treason. He was allegedly a Spanish spy.<\/p>\r\n

In 1612, the governor of Virginia instituted the Divine, Moral, and Martial Laws<\/a>. These laws imposed the death penalty for many offenses, such as:<\/p>\r\n