The VLW Blog

Sen. J. Chapman Petersen, D-Fairfax, who had been mentioned as a possible gubernatorial candidate in 2013, took himself out of the running late yesterday. In a lengthy post on Facebook, he explained his reasons. He said he had been getting many inquiries, which he did not discourage. But “[t]o run for public office, a lot [...]

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Gov. Robert F. McDonnell has weighed in on Hernandez v. Commonwealth, the Supreme Court of Virginia decision earlier this year that said judges have the authority to defer judgment and later dismiss charges. A legislative effort to override the decision passed handily in the House of Delegates but died in the Senate with a recommendation [...]

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If a $10 dues reduction sounded good, how about $25? The Virginia State Bar Executive Committee has adopted a 2011-12 budget that would reduce annual dues from $250 annually to $225, plus the $25 assessment for the Clients’ Protection Fund. The agency’s budget and finance committee recommended a $10 decrease last month along with a [...]

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The Virginia Department Forensic Science will begin providing familial DNA searches for state law enforcement agencies, Gov. Bob McDonnell announced today. The agency has a database of more than 330,000 profiles that can be tested against DNA material from crime scenes. If a typical search does not produce a match, a familial search may identify [...]

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Gov. Bob McDonnell proposed two budget amendments today that will affect the judiciary’s budget. He suggests $1.7 million for what he described as “longstanding priority judicial vacancies” and an additional $5.4 million to the criminal fund to help pay the cost of representing indigent defendants. The amount allocated for judicial vacancies would cover the salary [...]

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Gov. Bob McDonnell announced today that Tom Davis and Owen Pickett, both lawyers former members of Congress, will be co-chairmen of his Commission on Military and National Security Facilities. McDonnell said he decided to establish commission in response to a February meeting with the state’s congressional delegation and, more recently, the proposal of Defense Secretary [...]

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Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell has asked the Department of Homeland Security to designate state troopers as federal immigration officers. McDonnell made the request in a letter to DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano under § 287(g) of the Immigration and Nationality Act. Enforcement of immigration laws generally is a federal responsibility, but federal law allows state and [...]

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Gov. Bob McDonnell has appointed Larry Wilder, the son of former Gov. L. Douglas Wilder, as a special assistant on re-entry education. The younger Wilder practiced law for 14 years but more recently has been involved in what a press release described as “designing and implementing community and economic development models.” He served most recently [...]

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Gov. Tim Kaine has denied a petition for clemency in the case of Aleck Carpitcher, a man serving a 38-year sentence for assaulting an 11-year-old girl who later recanted her testimony. The Roanoke Times reports there was no explanation from the governor’s office. The decision is a disappointment for a team of lawyers with the [...]

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John V. Cogbill III has told the Richmond-area legislative delegation that he will not accept his appointment to the circuit court bench in Chesterfield and Colonial Heights. Cogbill is managing partner of McGuireWoods’ Richmond office and very highly regarded for his expertise in land use and other real estate matters. He’s also a member of [...]

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