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pahannock courts.
Hughes comes to the Warrenton office from Winchester, where she participated in a similar program that was used as a model by the General Assembly when it modified several of the sentencing tools available to judges in its last session.
“This was an exciting prospect,” Hughes said. “To be able to set up a program from the start to offer these services to the courts.”
VASAP Program
The VASAP program, of course, was already in operation. Changes in the sentencing of drunk drivers have given the program more teeth, Hughes believes. “It used to be that someone convicted of driving under the influence could be assigned to VASAP and have his case continued until he completed the program. If he did this successfully, the sentence was reduced to reckless driving.”
Now, conviction of driving under the influence of alcohol is a requirement for VASAP. One incentive the program does offer is the use of a restricted license while attending the classes. But the conviction will remain on the offender’s record and a second offense will result in the longer suspension of one year. "This generally reflects a sense of community outrage at the suffering caused by drunk drivers,” Hughes said. As yet, there is no way to measure the success of the change. “We hope that this will result in more arrests for drunk driving,” Hughes said, "as law enforcement officers become aware of community sentiment.”
Rappahannock Sheriff W. A. Buntin said that this indeed was a change for the better. “A conscientious law enforcement officer will
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