Free Newsletter
Prosecutor cleared in contempt case
Peter Vieth//February 8, 2014
It took all of 15 seconds Friday for Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney Catherine Paxson to escape the shadow of a Jan. 7 criminal contempt conviction.
Paxson had been cited for contempt by Norfolk General District Judge S. Clark Daugherty for delaying court proceedings as she tended to other cases in circuit courts. Observers said Paxson’s “double-booking” was commonplace for both prosecutors and defense attorneys.
As Paxson appealed the contempt conviction to circuit court, Portsmouth Commonwealth’s Attorney Earle C. Mobley was appointed to the case. Mobley asked Circuit Judge Charles E. Poston to dismiss the charge with prejudice, reports The Virginian-Pilot.
Before Mobley could cite case law to support his motion, Poston dismissed the charge. Poston said Daugherty’s finding of contempt was “unusual, to say the least,” according to the paper.
Verdicts & Settlements
- Driver fell asleep, causing significant auto accident — $1M settlement
- Defense verdict returned for company in rear-end crash — Defense verdict
- Cauda equina syndrome developed after procedure — $625,000 settlement
- Passenger died months after sustaining multiple injuries — $725,000 settlement
- Plaintiff injured in crash with oncoming vehicle — $235,000 settlement
- Driver killed in rear-end collision with tractor-trailer — $1.5M settlement
- Man died from pancreatic cancer after delayed response — $1.8M settlement
- Worker fell off roof, rendering him a paraplegic — $1.25M settlement
- Driver sustained permanent hearing loss after traffic collision — $240,000 settlement
- Plaintiff suffered concussion in rear-end collision — $81,000 verdict
- Builder misrepresented home status to buyers — $675,000 verdict
- Low potassium led to cardiac arrest, death of patient — $1M settlement
Opinion Digests
- Company owner dodges breach of contract suit
- Employee’s own allegations doom minimum wage claim
- Federal government defeats former employee’s claims
- Principal wasn’t entitled to exclusively remote work
- USPTO properly redacted info in responsive documents
- Untimely lawsuit allowed to proceed
- Engineering consultant dismissed from suit
- Rule 60 motion was filed too late
- Nonprofit directors immune from ex-employees’ claims
- City, employees immune from whistleblower claims
- Experts excluded in condemnation damages suit
- Judgment entered against company for horse’s death
