The VLW Blog

The CRESPA bond requirement is being increased, according to this announcement from the Virginia State Bar. An amendment to Code § 6.1-2.21 increasing the minimum CRESPA surety bond from $100,000 to $200,000 will be effective on July 1, 2008. UPDATE: Here’s an update on Thursday afternoon, direct from the VSB Executive Committee which is meeting [...]

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Lawyers for families of 21 of the Virginia Tech shooting victims said today they have agreed to an $11 million settlement with the Commonwealth of Virginia, according to an AP account in The Roanoke Times and other newspapers. At least 20 families earlier filed notice with the state that they might sue. Published accounts of [...]

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For suspects who weren’t sure, you have no privacy interest in the way you smell. The Virginia Court of Appeals didn’t have to hold its nose to embrace the “plain smell” doctrine, which gives cops the right to go into your pockets if you smell like marijuana. “While some have questioned our willingness” to embrace [...]

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As we reported recently, it’s an open issue in Virginia whether a plaintiff’s lawyer has to choose between a wrongful death and a survival action before trial. In case we needed reminding, here comes a Maryland federal court decision (by way of the Maryland Daily Record) that clarifies the importance of that issue: Virginia allows [...]

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According to this website, Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia will speak at UVA Law School Thursday on “The Wall of Separation.” Apparently, he will address Jefferson’s view of church and state, although it is not known if he will comment on the recent Virginia decision in the Episcopal Church property dispute. Scalia is to speak [...]

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Two nonprofit agencies that work with courts as advocates for abused children have announced plans to merge, according to this item from the Roanoke Times. The merger will join the Children’s Advocacy Center of the Roanoke Valley and the Roanoke Valley chapter of Court Appointed Special Advocates for Children to form Children’s Trust Roanoke Valley.

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State Senator Ralph Smith of Troutville thinks lawyers have too much say in who becomes a judge in Virginia. He sees bar endorsements as a conflict of interest for those who have to practice before the judge. Today, he ventured to defend that opinion before the Roanoke Bar Association. “It’s like getting to pick your [...]

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Once again, when trial judges and lawyers convene, the talk turns to Benitez, the Virginia Supreme Court sanctions case. The venue this time? A panel of circuit court judges at the Virginia Trial Lawyers Association annual meeting on March 28, moderated by Arlington Circuit Court Judge Joanne Alper. The subject is irresistibly personal. “Sanctions motions [...]

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Salem and Roanoke County Juvenile Court Judge Philip Trompeter says, in his perfect world, parents would have to undergo training in the dangers of alcohol and drugs before their children move up to middle school and beyond. Speaking to a meeting on underage drinking prevention Thursday night, Trompeter emphasized parental responsibility: “There’s not a child [...]

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State Senator Mark Obenshain of Harrisonburg is considering a run for the G.O.P. nomination for Attorney General, according to the Daily News Record.

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