Dobson v. Commonwealth

In this appeal, we consider whether the Court of Appeals erred in concluding that a defendant’s due process rights were not violated by a jury instruction concerning his exclusive possession of recently stolen property.

Eric Lee Dobson, also known as David Lee Brown (the defendant), was tried by a jury in the Circuit Court of the City of Richmond and found guilty of grand larceny of a motor vehicle owned by Hertz Corporation (Hertz), in violation of Code § 18.2-95. The jury fixed the defendant’s punishment at two years’ imprisonment, and the trial court sentenced him in accordance with the…