Legal Question in Family Law in Virginia

Re: conviction

A conviction occurs when the one accused of a crime is found guilty and consequently sentenced by the criminal court empowered to rule on the case.

A dismissal of a criminal charge will normally occur before a trial begins and results in the one accused going free and without further encumbrance

or sanction from this charge unless it is rebrought at some later time by the prosecutor's office, if permitted under applicable law.

The difference between a dismissal of a criminal charge and a conviction is tantamount to the difference between day and night; the two in fact are nearly opposites of each other.