The VLW Blog

A lawyer’s single disclaimer on his website was not enough to warn potential clients that they might not see the same successful results in their criminal cases as the lawyer touted in his blog posts, the Supreme Court of Virginia said today in Hunter v. Virginia State Bar. The VSB wanted Richmond lawyer Horace Hunter [...]

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The Supreme Court of Virginia has reversed a disciplinary finding against a lawyer who fielded a 60-second phone call from the opposing party in a medical-malpractice case. Fairfax lawyer Heather Ellison Zaug took a phone call from a plaintiff, who initially said that a deposition in the case needed to be stopped. As Zaug talked [...]

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Christopher J. Dumler, a Scottsville lawyer who avoided a felony conviction on a forcible sodomy charge, has been unable to avoid a drumbeat of calls for his resignation from the Albemarle County board of supervisors. Dumler evidently hopes to quell the criticism with a new public statement regarding his refusal to resign and his political [...]

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A Blacksburg criminal lawyer is charged with DUI as well as three felony drug and gun charges after an encounter with officers in Montgomery County this week. Joseph G. Painter Jr., 65, was arrested after authorities got a call about a possible fight between two people Tuesday evening. Officers located two people in a vehicle [...]

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A Chesterfield County spiritual advisor made a federal case out of it when the county told her she could not practice her craft without paying for a license as a fortune teller. She took her case all the way to the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, but the stars did not favor her appeal. [...]

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The Supreme Court of Virginia has agreed to hear the state’s complaints about the lawsuits that led to judgments of $100,000 each for two families of Virginia Tech shooting victims. The court refused appeal requests from the families. The court’s actions on Monday suggest the justices may address whether state college officials have a duty [...]

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U.S. District Judge Robert Payne of Richmond rebuked federal prosecutors for failing to get proper service on a South Korean company accused of stealing trade secrets for making body armor. The judge’s Feb. 22 ruling means a delay in the criminal case against Kolon Industries Inc. as the government must try again to properly notify [...]

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A lawyer accused of continuing to practice in bankruptcy court after being suspended by the Virginia State Bar now has lost his privilege to practice law altogether. Denny P. Dobbins of Portsmouth was suspended for three months beginning July 1, but U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Stephen St. John said he discovered Dobbins had filed petitions or [...]

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The General Assembly last week gave final approval to the bill designed to remove a linguistic barrier to exoneration for those wrongly convicted in Virginia. House Bill 1432 – if signed by Gov. Bob McDonnell – will change the standard a defendant must satisfy to prove innocence. The bill was written by Attorney General Ken [...]

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The budget approved by the General Assembly Saturday provides money for unfreezing only five extra judgeships in addition to the 15 proposed in Gov. Bob McDonnell’s proposal. Earlier this month, the House and Senate introduced budget plans that were far more generous to the judiciary. The House proposed filling an extra 17 judgeships and the [...]

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