Commonwealth v. Williams

In this appeal, we consider whether the Court of Appeals erred in reversing the circuit court’s judgment on the ground that the failure to grant the defendant’s request for a jury trial denied him a constitutional right.

Herbert Williams, Jr., was indicted for robbery in violation of Code § 18.2-58, for illegal use of a firearm in violation of Code § 18.2-53.1, and for unlawful wearing of a mask in violation of Code § 18.2-422. He was accused of robbing Dost M. Khan, a hotel desk clerk, at gunpoint. Williams was convicted of all three offenses in a bench trial in the Circuit Court of the City…