The VLW Blog

This morning, the en banc 4th Circuit heard reargument in al-Marri v. Pucciarelli, the much-watched case that could set limits on presidential power to seize and hold civilians in the name of prosecuting the war on terrorism. On June 11, a 4th Circuit panel granted a writ of habeas corpus to Ali al-Marri, a citizen [...]

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The Supreme Court of Virginia’s advisory committee on rules is looking for comment on a proposal to make counterclaims compulsory and on changes to rules to make e-discovery consistent with changes in federal rules on e-discovery. Virginia Lawyers Weekly has an article in this week’s issue that is available along with links to detailed reports [...]

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The conviction of Deanna Hilda Large for involuntary manslaughter because she recklessly allowed dangerous dogs to run at large might have been a first, but the Virginia Court of Appeals saw it as little more than a routine sufficiency-of-the-evidence case. Large contended that the prosecution failed to prove that she knew that the dogs were [...]

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The Virginia Court of Appeals usually hears writs in four different cities across the commonwealth. but it doesn’t get to Frederickburg very often. According to The Free Lance-Star, the intermediate court was last there about 10 years ago. But the court will be in Fredericksburg tomorrow as part of the reopening of the newly renovated [...]

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A lawyer’s former secretary, charged with stealing from a dead woman’s estate, is scheduled to plead guilty today under an agreement with federal prosecutors. Shelia Mae Boone, who worked for Richmond lawyer Harvey Latney Jr., is charged with forging checks totaling more than $272,000, reports the Richmond Times-Dispatch.

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Roy L. Pearson Jr., who lost his $54 million lawsuit against a D.C. dry cleaning shop over a lost pair of pants, is out of a job. He had been an administrative law judge with the Office of Administrative Hearings, but a panel has voted against reappointing him, reports the Washington Post. According to the [...]

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Frank J. Santoro has been named a bankruptcy judge for the Eastern District of Virginia in Norfolk, to replace David H. Adams who will retire Jan. 2, 2008, upon the completion of his term of appointment. Santoro (right) is expected to take the bench in March 2008, according to a press release from the Bankruptcy [...]

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A woman and her daughter, visiting Virginia Beach from the Midwest, claim they were attacked by bedbugs at the Rodeway Inn, a hotel on Atlantic Avenue. The Virginian-Pilot reports that the pair have filed a lawsuit, seeking more than $400,000 for bites and other injuries and for damage to their property.

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Of the 20 people indicted last year in the Henry County drug-trafficking scandal, only one, a former sergeant in the sheriff’s office, sought a jury trial. That case is scheduled to begin today in Roanoke federal court. The Roanoke Times reports that nearly four dozen witnesses may testify.

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Yesterday, the American Bar Association renewed its call for a nationwide moratorium on use of the death penalty; the group issued a report based on several states’ experience, calling the system “deeply flawed.” Virginia was not one of the states studied. Through a spokesman, Attorney General Bob McDonnell says he disagrees with the ABA study, [...]

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