{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/17.1-805.1.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/17.1-805.1.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/17.1-805.1.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/17.1-805.1.html"}],"law_id":62946,"edition_id":1,"section_id":62946,"structure_id":12767,"section_number":"17.1-805.1","catch_line":"Discretionary sentencing guideline midpoints for certain defendants","history":"2022, cc. 723, 783.","full_text":"The Commission shall adopt discretionary felony sentencing guidelines that may increase the midpoint of the recommended sentencing range based on the defendant’s record of convictions for violent felony offenses, as defined in subsection C of \u00a7 17.1-805.\n\t\tFor guidelines that become effective on or after July 1, 2022, the Commission may increase the midpoint of the recommended sentencing range for such defendants as set forth in subsection A of \u00a7 17.1-805 or the Commission may recommend increases in the midpoint to the degree indicated by historical data for felony offenses sentenced in the Commonwealth. Any recommendations adopted by the Commission to modify the sentencing guidelines midpoints shall be contained in the annual report required under \u00a7 17.1-803 and shall become effective in accordance with \u00a7 17.1-806.","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":229598,"text":"The Commission shall adopt discretionary felony sentencing guidelines that may increase the midpoint of the recommended sentencing range based on the defendant’s record of convictions for violent felony offenses, as defined in subsection C of \u00a7 17.1-805.\n\t\tFor guidelines that become effective on or after July 1, 2022, the Commission may increase the midpoint of the recommended sentencing range for such defendants as set forth in subsection A of \u00a7 17.1-805 or the Commission may recommend increases in the midpoint to the degree indicated by historical data for felony offenses sentenced in the Commonwealth. Any recommendations adopted by the Commission to modify the sentencing guidelines midpoints shall be contained in the annual report required under \u00a7 17.1-803 and shall become effective in accordance with \u00a7 17.1-806.","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1}},"ancestry":[{"id":12767,"edition_id":1,"name":"Virginia Criminal Sentencing Commission","identifier":"8","label":"chapter","depth":2,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12766,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:43:52","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:43:52","permalink":{"id":164023,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12767,"identifier":"8","token":"17.1\/8","url":"\/17.1\/8\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12766,"edition_id":1,"name":"Courts of Record","identifier":"17.1","label":"title","depth":1,"order_by":1,"parent_id":null,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:43:52","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:43:52","permalink":{"id":162799,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12766,"identifier":"17.1","token":"17.1","url":"\/17.1\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}}],"structure_contents":[{"id":67002,"structure_id":12767,"section_number":"17.1-800","catch_line":"Virginia Criminal Sentencing Commission created","url":"\/17.1-800\/","token":"17.1\/8\/17.1-800","metadata":false},{"id":60673,"structure_id":12767,"section_number":"17.1-801","catch_line":"Purpose","url":"\/17.1-801\/","token":"17.1\/8\/17.1-801","metadata":false},{"id":60828,"structure_id":12767,"section_number":"17.1-802","catch_line":"Membership; terms; compensation and expenses","url":"\/17.1-802\/","token":"17.1\/8\/17.1-802","metadata":false},{"id":67896,"structure_id":12767,"section_number":"17.1-803","catch_line":"Powers and duties","url":"\/17.1-803\/","token":"17.1\/8\/17.1-803","metadata":false},{"id":53956,"structure_id":12767,"section_number":"17.1-804","catch_line":"Meetings; staff support","url":"\/17.1-804\/","token":"17.1\/8\/17.1-804","metadata":false},{"id":80246,"structure_id":12767,"section_number":"17.1-805","catch_line":"Adoption of initial discretionary sentencing guideline midpoints","url":"\/17.1-805\/","token":"17.1\/8\/17.1-805","metadata":false},{"id":62946,"structure_id":12767,"section_number":"17.1-805.1","catch_line":"Discretionary sentencing guideline midpoints for certain defendants","url":"\/17.1-805.1\/","token":"17.1\/8\/17.1-805.1","metadata":false},{"id":60194,"structure_id":12767,"section_number":"17.1-806","catch_line":"Sentencing guidelines modifications; effective date","url":"\/17.1-806\/","token":"17.1\/8\/17.1-806","metadata":false}],"previous_section":{"id":80246,"structure_id":12767,"section_number":"17.1-805","catch_line":"Adoption of initial discretionary sentencing guideline midpoints","url":"\/17.1-805\/","token":"17.1\/8\/17.1-805","metadata":false},"next_section":{"id":60194,"structure_id":12767,"section_number":"17.1-806","catch_line":"Sentencing guidelines modifications; effective date","url":"\/17.1-806\/","token":"17.1\/8\/17.1-806","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/17.1-805.1\/","history_text":"

This law was first created in 2022. The record of its establishment is cataloged in chapters 723<\/a> and 783<\/a> of that year\u2019s edition of \u201cActs of Assembly,\u201d the annual state publication listing all changes made to the Code of Virginia in that year.<\/p>","references":false,"refers_to":[{"id":67896,"section_number":"17.1-803","catch_line":"Powers and duties","order_by":null,"url":"\/17.1-803\/"},{"id":80246,"section_number":"17.1-805","catch_line":"Adoption of initial discretionary sentencing guideline midpoints","order_by":null,"url":"\/17.1-805\/"},{"id":60194,"section_number":"17.1-806","catch_line":"Sentencing guidelines modifications; effective date","order_by":null,"url":"\/17.1-806\/"}],"permalink":{"id":164049,"object_type":"law","relational_id":62946,"identifier":"17.1-805.1","token":"17.1\/8\/17.1-805.1","url":"\/17.1-805.1\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/17.1-805.1\/","token":"17.1\/8\/17.1-805.1","dublin_core":{"Title":"Discretionary sentencing guideline midpoints for certain defendants","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 17.1-805.1","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

The Commission shall adopt discretionary felony<\/span> sentencing guidelines<\/span> that may increase the midpoint of the recommended sentencing range based on the defendant<\/span>’s record of convictions<\/span> for violent felony<\/span> offenses<\/span>, as defined in subsection C of \u00a7 17.1-805<\/a>.\n\t\tFor guidelines that become effective on or after July 1, 2022, the Commission may increase the midpoint of the recommended sentencing range for such defendants<\/span> as set forth in subsection A of \u00a7 17.1-805<\/a> or the Commission may recommend increases in the midpoint to the degree indicated by historical data for felony<\/span> offenses<\/span> sentenced in the Commonwealth. Any recommendations adopted by the Commission to modify the sentencing guidelines<\/span> midpoints shall be contained in the annual report required under \u00a7 17.1-803<\/a> and shall become effective in accordance with \u00a7 17.1-806<\/a>.<\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nDISCRETIONARY SENTENCING GUIDELINE MIDPOINTS FOR CERTAIN DEFENDANTS (\u00a7\n17.1-805.1)\n\nThe Commission shall adopt discretionary felony sentencing guidelines that may\nincrease the midpoint of the recommended sentencing range based on the\ndefendant’s record of convictions for violent felony offenses, as defined\nin subsection C of \u00a7 17.1-805.\n\t\tFor guidelines that become effective on or after July 1, 2022, the Commission\nmay increase the midpoint of the recommended sentencing range for such\ndefendants as set forth in subsection A of \u00a7 17.1-805 or the Commission may\nrecommend increases in the midpoint to the degree indicated by historical data\nfor felony offenses sentenced in the Commonwealth. Any recommendations adopted\nby the Commission to modify the sentencing guidelines midpoints shall be\ncontained in the annual report required under \u00a7 17.1-803 and shall become\neffective in accordance with \u00a7 17.1-806.\n\nHISTORY: 2022, cc. 723, 783.","edition":{"id":1,"name":"2025","slug":"2025","date_created":"2026-06-21 22:39:22","date_modified":"2026-06-21 22:39:22","current":1,"order_by":1,"last_import":null}}