Yager v. Commonwealth

In this criminal appeal, the significant issue is whether the trial court committed reversible error in refusing to instruct the jury on the presumption of innocence accorded an accused.

Defendant James Walton Yager was indicted under Code § 46.1-387.8 for unlawfully and feloniously operating a motor vehicle after having been declared an habitual offender and while the order of court prohibiting such operation remained in effect. 1 Tried by a jury upon his plea of not guilty, the accused was found guilty as charged and sentenced to two years’ imprisonment. The trial court confirmed the jury’s…