HB981Introduced in the House of Delegates
Criminal cases; prosecutorial misconduct, reasonable costs and attorney fees.
Introduced by Thomas Garrett, District 56
What does this bill do?
Plain-English breakdown
Writing a plain-English summary of this bill… this can take a few seconds the first time.
Official description
Criminal cases; prosecutorial misconduct; reasonable costs and attorney fees. Entitles a defendant to recover reasonable costs and attorney fees when a criminal case against him is dismissed and it is discovered that prosecutorial misconduct was present or an abuse of process occurred in such case.
Where it stands
Left in Committee Courts of Justice
February 18, 2026
How did lawmakers vote?
House of DelegatesStage: Subcommittee failed to recommend reporting (4-Y 6-N) · February 2, 2026
4
Yes
6
No
0
Absent or Not Voting
10 delegates recorded in this House of Delegates vote. Colors show vote categories only, not whether a vote was good or bad.
See how each delegate voted
| Delegate | District | Vote |
|---|---|---|
| Richard Sullivan | 6 | No |
| Karen Keys-Gamarra | 7 | No |
| Marcus Simon | 13 | No |
| Michelle Maldonado | 20 | No |
| Atoosa Reaser | 27 | No |
| Jason Ballard | 42 | Yes |
| Terry Kilgore | 45 | Yes |
| Virgil Thornton | 86 | Yes |
| Karen Carnegie | 89 | No |
| James Leftwich | 90 | Yes |
Bill history
Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26104239D
Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice
Assigned HCJ sub: Civil
Subcommittee failed to recommend reporting (4-Y 6-N)
Left in Committee Courts of Justice
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