Misdemeanors do not always automatically go away in Virginia although some day.
Some misdemeanors in Virginia are automatically sealed after around 7 years for non convictions and others require a petition from the court to seal them.
When you have the misdemeanor sealed it makes them not visible on background checks or other record checks but if you're convicted of the misdemeanor charge then you would have to get the court to seal the misdemeanor record as it doesn't automatically go away.
The penalty for a Class 1 misdemeanor in Virginia is at least 1 year in jail and or a fine of $2,500.00
The actually penalty for the Class 1 misdemeanor in Virginia can vary depending on your criminal history and whether or not you're on parole or have any additional charges against you.
A Class 1 misdemeanor in Virginia is the highest type of misdemeanor offense which is also the most serious misdemeanor charge in Virginia.
Being charged with a Class 1 misdemeanor in Virginia is a serious misdemeanor charger and carries penalties of up to 1 year in jail and/or a fine of $2,500.00 fine.
Some examples of Class 1 misdemeanors in Virginia are reckless driving, petit larceny, assault and battery and DUI.
Other misdemeanors are less serious but Class 1 misdemeanors are the most serious.
The maximum punishment for a Class 1 misdemeanor charge is 1 year in jail and or a $2,500.00 fine.
A Class 1 misdemeanor charge in Virginia can be dropped, through a process called "defferal-dismissal", or accord and satisfaction.
And in these cases, the charges for a Class 1 misdemeanor charge may be dismissed and even expunged from your record in some cases.
The process of deferred dismissal allows the court to take your case under advisement and dismiss the charges if the defendant completes a program or performs community services as they are directed to do.
Accord and Satisfaction involves a settlement between the prosecution and defendant, in which the defendant agrees to certain terms such as restitution or paying of fines in exchange for the dismissal of the charges against them.
And if the charges are dismissed through either of the above processes, the defendant can then also request that their arrest record and other information that are related to the case be removed from their record for most purposes.