Aaron J. Campbell *
In Herrington v. Commonwealth, the Supreme Court of Virginia considered whether the Commonwealth had the authority to obtain an indictment on a different charge than the one certified to the grand jury. The defendant was initially arrested and charged with possession of a controlled substance with intent to sell or distribute. At the preliminary hearing on the charge, the district court found ?no probable cause to support the element of intent to sell or distribute. The district court therefore reduced the charge to simple possession of a controlled substance and certified that charge to the grand jury. The grand jury, nonetheless, indicted the defendant with the original distribution charge. The defendant unsuccessfully attempted to quash the indictment in circuit court.
* Assistant Attorney General, Criminal Appeals Section, Office of the Attorney General, Commonwealth of Virginia. J.D., 2009, University of Richmond School of Law; B.A., 2002, Concord University.