The VLW Blog

A female former fundraiser for Virginia Tech presented enough evidence to support a jury verdict that the university had retaliated against her in violation of Title VII, a federal appellate panel said on Jan. 31. Shana Maron, one of three female fundraisers who sued, alleged that when she sought a promotion with a higher salary, [...]

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The second of two bills that would have limited the appointment power of Virginia circuit judges has met defeat at the General Assembly. Seen as a reaction to the appointment of former prosecutor Tracy Thorne-Begland as a Richmond general district judge, the bills would have prevented interim appointment of judge candidates who were rejected by [...]

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It may not provide much comfort to those who fear lawsuits from bullet-riddled trespassers, but a new Virginia Court of Appeals decision affirms the availability of a self-defense claim in the shooting of a threatening dog. The outcome is reversal of a felony criminal conviction for a Chesterfield County man who shot and killed a [...]

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The curtain has come down on the contretemps over a coffee cup that played out in a Charlottesville office. The workplace drama opened in August 2007 at the National Ground Intelligence Center. An employee who volunteered on the office kitchen-cleaning committee allegedly threw away a coffee cup and spoon that had been left in the [...]

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A measure to reform Virginia’s actual innocence procedure has been sent back to a General Assembly workshop, possibly for additional tinkering. Faced with a floor amendment, the House of Delegates voted to re-refer the measure to the House Courts committee for further study. The legislation – House Bill 1432 – is aimed at fine tuning [...]

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As anticipated, the tort reform package was reported out of the House Courts of Justice full committee on Jan. 28, without further substantive discussion. Del. Dave Albo, R-Springfield, exercised the prerogative of the chair to reflect on the process that brought the bills this far. The tort reform bills have been a “darn nightmare,” he [...]

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Murray J. Janus, a Richmond criminal defense lawyer for 50 years, died Saturday at age 74. Mr. Janus was the former president of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers and the John Marshall Inn of Court. His death was announced by the NACDL in a new release. Mr. Janus was a life member of [...]

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Former Virginia Supreme Court Chief Justice Harry L. Carrico died Sunday at age 96. Justice Carrico was the longest serving justice and chief justice in the court’s history. He served 42 years on the court, 22 as chief justice. Retiring in 2003, he continued to serve as a senior justice. Justice Carrico’s death was confirmed [...]

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The Virginia Senate has again approved raising the mandatory retirement age for judges from 70 to 73. The vote on Senate Bill 740 in the full Senate was 30-to-10 Friday morning. The Senate approved a similar measure last year, but – despite a recommendation by the Judicial Council of Virginia – that bill died in [...]

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A broad spectrum of tort reform measures – many reflecting compromise among stakeholders – is expected to be presented to legislators today for action at the General Assembly. Negotiators say the tort reform package negotiated by business interests, trial lawyers and physicians will be unveiled at a House Courts subcommittee this afternoon. The centerpiece of [...]

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