The latest news and cases from the Supreme Court of Virginia
">Med mal, construction injury cases decided by order Posted in Unpublished Orders on Oct 31st, 2011
With all the seats on the Supreme Court of Virginia filled, the high court is back to hearing five days of oral arguments this week for its November session. It lightened its load a little last week, disposing of three more cases by unpublished order. A construction worker who was paralyzed on the job waived [...]
">Court to hear lawyer defamation claim Posted in Uncategorized, Writs Granted on Oct 27th, 2011
A lawyer who said he was defamed by allegations in a draft legal complaint will get a hearing from the Supreme Court of Virginia. Fairfax lawyer James M. Mansfield sued a Washington DC law firm and its client, saying he had been defamed by a description of him as “an unethical lawyer and a racist” [...]
">Proposal to limit access for pro se efilers Posted in Uncategorized on Oct 26th, 2011
Pro se parties would not have remote access to court records in an electronically filed case under rule changes proposed by the Advisory Committee on Rules of Court of the Judicial Council of Virginia. Access still would be available, for pro se parties and the general public, at courthouse terminals. But the system that is [...]
">Cat caretaker wins nursing-home contract case Posted in Civil Cases, Unpublished Orders on Oct 21st, 2011
A nursing home that tried to collect on a resident’s bill has lost its appeal to the Supreme Court of Virginia. In INOVA Health Systems Servs. Inc. v. Bainbridge, the facility pursued Susan Bainbridge, who held a power of attorney for the elderly resident, who allegedly had used the resident’s money for her own benefits. [...]
">Suspension upheld for tippling on trip to France Posted in Civil Cases, Unpublished Orders on Oct 21st, 2011
A high-school student’s suspension for drinking alcohol on a school trip to France will stand, as the Supreme Court of Virginia today reversed a Loudoun County Circuit Court’s decision that overturned the suspension. In April 2009, Eileen M. Tagg-Murdock’s daughter was one of 11 Dominion High School students suspended for violating a Loudoun County School [...]
">Sleep-driving defense fails at high court Posted in Criminal Cases, Unpublished Orders on Oct 19th, 2011
A Loudoun County motorist who claimed he was sleep-driving after taking Ambien has lost his DWI appeal in the Supreme Court of Virginia. In an unpublished order, the high court rejected Joshua K. Shortt’s appeal of his conviction for driving while intoxicated in violation of Virginia Code § 18.2-266. The Court of Appeals affirmed Shortt’s [...]
">A twice-told tale: Sentences suspended, revoked, reimposed Posted in Criminal Cases, Unpublished Orders on Oct 7th, 2011
The Supreme Court of Virginia today rejected appeals by two defendants who couldn’t stay out of trouble after initially getting a break with a suspended sentence. In each case, what the trial judge didn’t know in an earlier hearing later came back to bite the defendant. In Canty v. Commonwealth, Kevin Canty argued the trial [...]
