October 26, 2020
Comments Off on Harassment claim based on acts of student
A Chesterfield County special education instructor can go forward with a hostile environment claim, based on alleged sexual harassment by a student. The employee brought the Title VII claim against the Chesterfield County School Board based on alleged groping by ...
Tagged with: Employment Sexual harassment Title VII
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October 23, 2020
Comments Off on Assembly backs jury sentencing reform bill
A momentous change in Virginia criminal procedure almost went unnoticed at first. An end to jury sentencing for criminal defendants won final approval from the House of Delegates on a Friday evening as the General Assembly brought its pandemic-driven special ...
Tagged with: Criminal General Assembly Senate Judiciary Committee Sentencing
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Virginia Lawyers Media has announced the Class of 2020 for the “Virginia Lawyers Hall of Fame,” sponsored by Virginia Lawyers Weekly. The Virginia Lawyers Hall of Fame honors Virginia lawyers age 60 and older. Criteria for inclusion in the Hall ...
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October 19, 2020
Comments Off on Emergency order tolls appeal bond deadline
A Lynchburg judge has ruled the Virginia Supreme Court’s emergency tolling of case-related deadlines applies to the statutory deadline for posting a bond to appeal a civil case from district court to circuit court. The decision means there is no ...
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October 19, 2020
Comments Off on ‘Safe harbor’ overdose law applies retroactively
A Frederick County circuit judge has ruled that broader protections for overdose victims in criminal court apply even when the overdose occurred before the stronger law took effect. Despite that favorable ruling this month, the same judge later ruled the ...
Tagged with: Criminal Drug overdose Frederick County Circuit Court Judge William W. Eldridge IV Virginia Circuit Courts
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October 19, 2020
Comments Off on Assembly gives court power to delay judgments
After a decade of nuanced judicial refinements to the standard for deferring dispositions for criminal defendants, the General Assembly has agreed to give judges nearly unfettered discretion to delay criminal judgments for later consideration. The reform given final approval Oct. ...
Tagged with: Court Criminal Deferred Deposition Judgement Judges
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The Catholic Diocese of Richmond is paying $6.3 million to 51 people who were sexually abused as minors by clergy members, according to an Oct. 15 report on its website. In February, the Richmond diocese launched the Independent Reconciliation Program. From April 3 to May ...
Tagged with: Catholic Diocese Independent Reconciliation Program Richmond Sexual abuse
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October 12, 2020
Comments Off on Do it again: Second depo allowed for witness who changed many answers
After the plaintiff in a medical malpractice wrongful death action submitted 72 changes to her deposition answers, a Virginia circuit judge allowed the defendants a second deposition to inquire about the changes. The Fairfax County case raised an issue occasionally ...
Tagged with: Fairfax County Medical Malpractice Wrongful Death
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October 12, 2020
Comments Off on U.Va. law prof wins man his freedom via Zoom
A group of University of Virginia law students had a class they’ll never forget after witnessing their professor win a Louisiana man his freedom during a resentencing hearing via Zoom. “I’m never going to have a class this good again,” ...
Tagged with: Criminal Orleans Parish Criminal District Court Sentencing University of Virginia Zoom
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October 12, 2020
Comments Off on Richmond law firm defending claims in Florida
A Richmond business law firm and two lawyer members are defending claims in federal court in Florida arising from an investment venture that went sour for two participants. A U.S. District Judge sitting in Tampa on Sept. 7 dismissed a ...
Tagged with: Investment Richmond
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