The VLW Blog

Former Del. C. Richard Cranwell is considering a run for Virginia lieutenant governor, he confirmed today. Cranwell (left), chairman of the Democratic Party of Virginia, said he is only “mulling around the possiblity” and preferred to avoid any public mention of the subject. Noting recent chatter about his political intentions, however, Cranwell conceded the importance [...]

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Author John Grisham, best known for his legal dramas, will be campaigning with fifth district Democratic Congressional candidate Tom Perriello today in Martinsville. The Danville Register-Bee has details. By Peter Vieth

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Payee notification of insurance checks and random audits of trust accounts are two proposals under active study as the Virginia State Bar this month convened a meeting to deal solely with protecting the public from dishonest lawyers. As we reported last month, recent attorney defalcations in Virginia have been costly to clients and others.  The [...]

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Virginia Court of Appeals Judge D. Arthur Kelsey couldn’t help but imply that Robert Thurman Pilson might not be the best candidate for a home electronic monitoring program. Not only was Pilson sentenced to the mandatory minimum one-year term for driving as an habitual offender, his criminal record includes convictions for escape, eluding police, resisting [...]

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The full 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals will review the constitutionality of Virginia’s law barring partial-birth abortions. The case has along history that began with the adoption of the law by the General Assembly in 2003. A physician and a Richmond abortion clinic filed suit challenging the law, and 4th Circuit Judges M. Blane [...]

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An organization that sought to register new voters in Hampton may be rethinking its incentive package for canvassers. According to this story from the Daily Press, the nonprofit group paid young workers to sign up new voters, but only if the workers turned in at least 15 registration forms a day. Three of those workers [...]

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Environmental groups launched a two-pronged legal attack last week on a planned $8-billion coal-burning power plant in Wise County. The Southern Environmental Law Center, on behalf of four other groups, sued in both Richmond Circuit Court and the Supreme Court of Virginia.  Two actions filed in the circuit court are administrative appeals of decisions by [...]

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Rick and Susan Garmon still have a Prince William County jury’s finding that a contractor is liable for constructive fraud for using a barrier exterior insulation and finish system on their home. The Garmons testified that they had insisted on a drainable EIFS system, but the contractor had installed a barrier system instead. But Circuit [...]

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At last, medical malpractice defense attorneys must be saying, a decision from the Supreme Court of Virginia in our favor – albeit in the form of an unpublished order. To say that the case of Lindamood v. Jamshidi had languished in Fairfax County Circuit Court would be an understatement. The widow of Thomas C. Lindamood [...]

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The video of Regent Law Professor James Duane’s 5th Amendment lecture – popularly known as “Don’t talk to the police!” – is enjoying widespread viewership on the Internet. In the video, the loquacious professor advises potential criminal lawyers why their clients should never – ever – talk to the police. A police detective responds and [...]

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