A group of 40 Gloucester County residents, eager to test an award of sanctions for seeking the ouster of local officials, finally has a case on the docket at the Supreme Court of Virginia.
As reported by the Daily Press , the citizens filed their petition for appeal Wednesday at the high court.
The citizens had petitioned for removal of four county supervisors. Circuit Judge Westbrook Parker allowed the group to nonsuit its petition but imposed sanctions of $2,000 each, saying the petition was a misuse of the judicial system.
"The trial court employed the sanctions statute in an improper and even unconstitutional manner, ignoring the protections of the Petition Clause," wrote Steve Emmert, attorney for the petitioners.
By Peter Vieth
1 response so far ↓
1 John - DC/VA suburb // Dec 2, 2009 at 10:53 am
Misuse ? Would a Judge, who is sworn to uphold the law, not do so when local officials control his nomination to the court? This sounds like a matter to be taken up in a complaint with the Judicial Inquiry and Review Commission.
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