A felony is a major crime that may be punished with a minimum of one year in jail or prison. 

**Note: General District Court and Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court do not conduct jury trials. The judge listens to the evidence during the trial and, if he or she finds the defendant guilty, will issue a sentence at the end of the trial.

Misdemeanor cases are less-serious crimes, punishable by confinement in jail for a maximum of one year, a fine of not more than $2,500, or both.

**Note: General District Court and Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court do not conduct jury trials. The judge listens to the evidence during the trial and, if he or she finds the defendant guilty, will issue a sentence at the end of the trial.

Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court handles criminal and traffic violations by juveniles and crimes against one's own family or household members.

**Note: General District Court and Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court do not conduct jury trials. The judge listens to the evidence during the trial and, if he or she finds the defendant guilty, will issue a sentence at the end of the trial.

• Tell the truth—Don’t pause to try to figure out if your answer will hurt or help the case. Just answer truthfully to the best of your memory.
• Be prepared—Try to recall what happened and picture the scene and the objects there. Don’t try to memorize your testimony. Simply be prepared to tell what happened in your own words.
• Clarify questions if you need to—If you did not hear the question or did not understand it, ask the attorney to repeat it.
• Answer only the questions asked of you—Do not volunteer information. Stop immediately if the judge interrupts or an attorney objects to a question. Do not guess or speculate. If you don’t know the answer, say so. If you give an estimate of time or distance, be sure everyone knows you are estimating.
• Be courteous—Try to remain calm and do not lose your temper. Being polite makes a good impression.
• Dress neatly—Try to have a clean, neat appearance in court.

The defendant, represented by a defense attorney, stands trial and his/her guilt or innocence is determined by the judge or jury. At the beginning of the trial, all witnesses are sworn and may be required to remain outside of the courtroom until they testify. The amount of time it takes to try a case will vary; therefore, you may want to bring a book to read to pass the time.

When you are called to testify, the prosecutor will ask you some questions about the case. Afterwards, the defense attorney will have a chance to ask you questions.

In felony cases, if the defendant pleads guilty, a trial will not be required and you will not have to testify. In some cases, the prosecutor may agree to modify the charges or recommend that a defendant receive a certain sentence in return for a plea of guilty.

If you are the victim of the crime, the prosecutor handling your case will try to contact you before a plea agreement is formalized. If you do not understand the agreement, or have questions about it, ask the prosecutor for a full explanation.

In felony cases, if a defendant is found guilty, the probation office completes a pre-sentence report. 

Composing a Victim Impact Statement serves as an opportunity for you to tell the court and the offender, in your own words, how the crime as affected your life. In your statement, you may discuss any economic losses, physical or psychological injuries, and any major life changes you have experienced as a result of the crime. This information will be included as part of the probation office's pre-sentence report and will be considered by the judge in determining an appropriate sentence for the defendant.

To assist in preparing for the pre-sentence report, the probation office may contact you.

If you have been a victim of a violent crime or are a surviving relative of a victim, you may be eligible for financial compensation to cover medical expenses, psychological counseling, lost wages, or funeral expenses incurred as a result of the crime. 

The Virginia Victims Fund (unrelated to the Bedford Victim/Witness Assistance Program) was created to assist innocent victims in recovering these expenses. Please note that expenses covered by insurance and damage/loss of personal property are not covered by this fund.

Visit this link for more information.