This session will provide an update on the important legislative updates recently adopted by the Virginia General Assembly and took effect on July 1, 2024. This includes key updates to both substantive criminal law and criminal procedure, and important information about changes to the expungement process.

Megan Thomas
Public Defender
Alexandria Public Defender's Office 

Megan Thomas is the Chief Public Defender for the City of Alexandria. She graduated summa cum laude from the University of Florida in 1999 and magna cum laude from Catholic University, Columbus School of Law, in 2002. She joined the PD’s office in 2003 after clerking for a judge for a year in the District of Columbia and became the head of the office in 2022. She is bilingual in Spanish and English and handles a mixed felony docket in addition to the logistics of handling both the city and state budgets, supervising attorneys and managing the day to day operation of the office. As a PD, she has handled hundreds of cases ranging from DWI to 1st degree murder. Megan left the PD’s office in 2009 to spend time with her family. In 2012, she returned to criminal defense with the law firm King, Campbell & Poretz, at which time she handled criminal defense cases in Alexandria, Arlington, Fairfax and Prince William County, including several high-profile cases. In 2016, she returned to the PD’s office and became Deputy in 2019. She became the head of the office in 2022. She loves everything about being a PD and is always excited to talk about the world’s best job!

Bryan Porter
Commonwealth's Attorney
Alexandria's Commonwealth Attorney's Office

Bryan Porter is the elected Commonwealth's Attorney for the City of Alexandria, Virginia, his hometown. He was first elected in 2014 and is currently serving his third term in office.

Bryan began his career as a police officer, working the midnight shift while attending law school. He obtained his law degree from the George Mason University School of Law in 2001. Immediately after passing the bar exam, Bryan was hired as an Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney for the City of Alexandria. During his tenure as an assistant, Bryan conducted the investigation and prosecution of hundreds of violent offenses, to include robberies, shootings, and gang offenses. Bryan has prosecuted over one hundred serious, violent criminal offenses.    

Bryan has taught constitutional law and civil liability to literally thousands of citizens, law enforcement officers, and lawyers. He has taught on subjects as varied as prosecutorial ethics, search and seizure law, and the conduct of murder investigations and prosecutions.