AG candidate Jones convicted of reckless driving in 2022

Former Del. Jay Jones, the Democratic nominee for Virginia attorney general, was convicted of reckless driving in New Kent County in 2022, the Richmond Times-Dispatch first reported.

Per Virginia’s online case information system, Jones was clocked driving 116 miles per hour on Interstate 64 in New Kent County – 46 mph over the posted speed limit.

Court records showed that Jones was pulled over by a state trooper on Jan. 21, 2022, just under three weeks after he left the General Assembly during his third term representing the 89th District, covering parts of Norfolk.

Jones paid a $1,500 fine for the reckless driving infraction according to court records.

“Several years ago, I made the mistake of speeding, for which I am regretful,” Jones said in a statement. “I accepted responsibility for my actions, paid the fine, and fulfilled my responsibility to the court, which was accepted by the New Kent County Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office and the judge.”

The Richmond Times-Dispatch reported that Jones completed 1,000 hours of community service in 2023, split evenly between his Meet Our Moment political action committee and the NAACP Virginia State Conference.

In a statement from his campaign, Attorney General Jason Miyares, who Jones is challenging in the Nov. 4 election, said he was “alarmed” by the reports and took aim at Jones’ community service.

“Instead of taking accountability for his actions, it appears that my opponent submitted a letter to the court stating that he performed 500 hours of ‘community service’ for his own Political Action Committee, which is not a charitable organization under the Virginia Code, to dodge potential jail time,” Miyares said, adding that he believed the report “raises serious, troubling questions about Jay Jones’ judgment, his ability to uphold the law, and, ultimately, his qualifications for Attorney General.”

Jones and Miyares are scheduled to debate each other at the University of Richmond on Oct. 16, in a debate hosted by the Virginia State Bar Young Lawyers Section and the University of Richmond.