PORTSMOUTH, Va. – The man charged with allegedly trying to run over Virginia Senator Louise Lucas was in court Wednesday morning.
James C Taliaferro
James Taliaferro was arrested in March after a series of incidents that culminated with him allegedly attempting to run over the senator.
Taliaferro is reportedly an ex-employee of a business run by the Lucas family.
The 40-year-old is charged two felonies - attempted 1st degree murder and eluding police. He’s also charged with misdemeanor trespassing and destruction of property (x3).
In court, Taliaferro waived his right to a preliminary hearing. His case is going to the grand jury for indictment in circuit court.
One of the destruction charges was nolle prossed in court. The prosecution told News 3 they plan to bring it back as a felony because the damage is more than $1,000.
According to the Portsmouth Police Department, dispatchers were informed that a man had tried to run over a woman in the parking lot near the 1500 block of High Street in March.
After speaking to Lucas, police secured a warrant for the arrest of Taliaferro as a suspect for attempted murder. He had fled the scene of the crime before police arrived.
Taliaferro was eventually taken into custody after briefly leading law enforcement on a car chase into the City of Chesapeake.
The grand jury is expected to hear the evidence on June 7.
A trial date will be set sometime afterwards.
RELATED:
Man charged for attempting to run over Virginia Sen. Louise Lucas in Portsmouth
