Crenshaw v. Commonwealth

These four cases, heard together on appeal, all involve convictions under Code § 46.1-198.1. 1 This Code section creates three misdemeanor offenses concerning devices or mechanisms to detect the emission of radio microwaves in the electromagnetic spectrum, which microwaves are employed by police to measure the speed of motor vehicles for law-enforcement purposes. The offenses are (1) the operation of a motor vehicle “equipped with” such a device, (2) the use of such a device upon a motor vehicle, and (3) the sale of any such device.

Each of the four cases involves a “radar detector” observed…