46.2-943 - Court or jury may consider defendant's prior traffic record before sentencing. - Virginia Statutes

§ 46.2-943. Court or jury may consider defendant's prior traffic recordbefore sentencing.

The term "traffic offense" when used in this section shall mean any movingtraffic violation described or enumerated in subdivisions 1 and 2 of §46.2-382, whether such violation was committed within or outside theCommonwealth according to the records of the Department of Motor Vehicles.

The term "prior traffic record" when used in this section shall mean therecord of prior suspensions and revocations of a driver's license, and therecord of prior convictions of traffic offenses described in the foregoingprovisions of this section.

When any person is found guilty of a traffic offense, the court or jurytrying the case may consider the prior traffic record of the defendant beforeimposing sentence as provided by law. After the prior traffic record of thedefendant has been introduced, the defendant shall be afforded an opportunityto present evidence limited to showing the nature of his prior convictions,suspensions, and revocations.

(1975, c. 577, §§ 46.1-347.1, 46.1-347.2; 1984, c. 780; 1989, c. 727.)