Legal Question in Criminal Law in Virginia

Whether or not a person receives active jail or pentitentiary time depends on a number of factors such as 1.) crime convicted of, 2.) previous criminal history, and 3.) severity of the offense. A sentence can also consist of suspended jail or penitentiary time, the amount of which also depends on some of those factors. The maximum penalty for forgery is 10 years and the maximum penalty for felony embezzlement is 20 years. Those are the maximum punishments, not necessarily the sentence that would be imposed.