The VLW Blog

The Supreme Court of Virginia is being hampered by the snow. Due to inclement weather, the administrative offices of the court will be opening at 10 a.m. on Monday, according to an announcement on the court’s website. The message advises to check back for any further delays or office closings. UPDATE: The Supreme Court has [...]

[Read more →]

The University of Virginia law school softball game was played in frigid weather Thursday, with the students taking the win. More photos are on Facebook.

[Read more →]

While filings at the trial level of federal courts declined in the last fiscal year, appellate cases were on the uptick, according to the latest data submitted by federal court officials to the U.S. Judicial Conference. The data covers the 12-month period that ended Sept. 30, 2012. At the district court level, while the total [...]

[Read more →]

The Workers’ Compensation Commission got tough on a job-seeker this week, cutting off benefits for a route salesman it said had not looked hard enough for work. Delivery driver Dennis Nail was partially disabled due to injuries to his head, neck and shoulders. Work restrictions prevented him from lifting more than 20 pounds. He began [...]

[Read more →]

A Polaroid photograph that sat unnoticed for nearly 18 years in a Newport News police file may free a man serving a life sentence for murder. U.S. District Judge James R. Spencer vacated the capital murder conviction of David W. Boyce on Tuesday, ruling Boyce was denied due process because the state failed to turn [...]

[Read more →]

Two unlikely political bedfellows have gained additional ammunition from the state attorney general in their bid to compensate victims of Virginia’s involuntary sterilization program. Del. Patrick Hope – a Democrat – and Del. Bob Marshall – a Republican – joined forces this year to push for state payments to surviving victims of the discredited 55-year [...]

[Read more →]

A judge threw out a charge of fraudulent destruction of public records against former Lancaster County Commonwealth’s Attorney C. Jeffers Schmidt Jr. this month. General District Judge Robert Pustilnik granted Schmidt’s motion to strike the misdemeanor charge, ruling the prosecution failed to prove fraudulent intent, according to news accounts of the March 6 trial. Schmidt, [...]

[Read more →]

Attorneys who cringe at bombastic lawyer television advertisements with video mayhem in the background – brace yourselves. The latest trend in lawyer self-promotion may signal another retreat for the dignity of the profession. Keep your eye peeled for lawyers’ rolling billboards – vehicles painted stem-to-stern with lawyer advertising. A modest example from Sarasota, Fla., is [...]

[Read more →]

Not to be outdone by the humorous recollections of colleague Clifford Weckstein, Roanoke Circuit Judge Jonathan Apgar worked in a good story in a recent interview for the Roanoke Bar Review. As related by Michael P. Gardner, Apgar began serving as a substitute general district judge in 1990: He recalled being challenged by the work, [...]

[Read more →]

When police showed up with an arrest warrant, Theophilus Akwei slipped out the back door, wearing only gym shoes, a light shirt and sweat pants with no underwear. He claimed he was headed to work, but a federal court says his departure supported his conviction on drug charges. Akwei allegedly was involved with the “Macauley” [...]

[Read more →]