NORFOLK, Va. (AP) - A Virginia man avoided a felony conviction after his lawyer discovered the man’s utility knife is not a weapon under state law.
The Virginian-Pilot reports 52-year-old Cordell Davis had already pleaded guilty to being a felon possessing a weapon when public defender Armon “A.J.” Pollock was assigned to his case in Norfolk.
Prior to sentencing, Pollock reviewed the case and saw the weapon in question was a folded utility knife equipped with a razor blade.
While a razor can be considered a weapon, the Virginia Supreme Court ruled in 2007 that retractable razor blades loaded into a box cutter or utility knife are not considered weapons.
Pollock approached prosecutors and reworked Davis’ guilty plea last week to eliminate the felony charge, leaving only misdemeanors for marijuana possession and disorderly conduct.
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Information from: The Virginian-Pilot, http://pilotonline.com
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