The VLW Blog

A woman who occasionally rented out her Blue Ridge Mountain cabin must defend a negligence suit filed by a guest who said he was injured when he fell through a rotted hammock on the rental property. Although the cabin was the defendant Rebecca Ramos’ primary residence, she still qualified as an innkeeper who owed an [...]

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And it didn’t cost him a dime. The words of a 1976 novelty song by Johnny Cash come to mind in the case of a Navy officer accused of building his own airplane from parts he ordered through his Navy job. Lt. Cmdr. Christopher Lee Tappen has pleaded guilty to filing a false report and [...]

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A Virginia Beach lawyer lost two fingertips last week when a jail door slammed on his hand after a client visit. Greg McCormack is nursing two “extremely painful” fingers after the Nov. 21 incident at the Western Tidewater Regional Jail in Suffolk. He said doctors were unable to reattach his fingertips. McCormack, 59, said he [...]

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Stories about drunken drivers walking away from traffic accidents are not mere apocrypha. They show up in our Verdict & Settlement Reports. Turns out, science may back up the notion that God protects drunks and fools. Alcohol intoxication – even at a low level – cushions the blow for a person suffering a traumatic injury, [...]

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The First Day in Practice Seminar for new lawyers in Virginia has been rescheduled for March 1. The seminar at the Greater Richmond Convention Center – originally scheduled for Oct. 29 – was postponed because of the effects of Hurricane Sandy. It will run from 8:15 am to 4:00 pm, according to the Virginia State [...]

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Two recent opinions from Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli should come as a relief for a member of the Wise County School Board. The opinions also appear to strengthen the governor’s power to restore civil rights to former felons. Rocky Cantrell’s ability to serve as an elected school board member was called into question because of [...]

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Gov. Bob McDonnell issued a conditional pardon late Tuesday that led to freedom for a North Carolina man who has served four years in prison based on false accusations. The release came after hasty legal and investigative work by lawyers for Montgomery and by the governor’s staff. Johnathan Montgomery was released on conditional clemency based [...]

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SALEM – The renovated childhood home of famed civil rights pioneer Oliver Hill will be active once again with a new plan for mentoring and tutoring of Roanoke school students. Big Brothers Big Sisters is partnering with the Roanoke City Schools and the Oliver Hill Foundation to launch an after-school mentoring program at the house [...]

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U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Stephen C. St. John has been selected as chief judge for the Eastern District. The designation, effective Jan. 1, was made by the district judges of the district. St. John is the first chief from the Norfolk Division of the court. The Eastern District includes courts in Alexandria, Newport News, Norfolk and [...]

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The fields are shrinking as nomination season approaches for the 2013 state attorney general election. Fairfax Circuit Court Clerk John T. Frey has removed his name from contention for the Republican nomination for AG, according to the Richmond Times Dispatch. The move leaves two state legislators vying for the GOP nomination: Del. Robert B. Bell, [...]

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