Judge Dennis J. Smith

Mar 4, 2013

Fairfax changes policy on cellphones in courthouse

Letters, he got lots of letters and emails. Everybody inconvenienced by the court’s ban on cellphones – parties, jurors, witnesses – wanted to let Fairfax Circuit Chief Judge Dennis J. Smith know how much of a nuisance it was to be there, cut off from the outside world. People were using old-school communication tools to […]

Feb 4, 2013

Fairfax needs judges

Lawyers and legislators from various Virginia locales, including populous Fairfax County, say Gov. Bob McDonnell missed the mark when he proposed money to fill certain judgeships. The governor overlooked areas badly in need of judicial help, in part because the available caseload numbers are unreliable, Fairfax lawyers say. Other regions – including Arlington, Charlottesville, Roanoke, […[...]

Nov 5, 2012

Judge denies Dems’ request on poll watchers

FAIRFAX, Va. (AP) — A judge late Friday rejected a request from Fairfax County Democrats seeking an injunction that would have protected the right of their poll watchers to speak to voters. Fairfax County Circuit Court Judge Dennis Smith rejected the request following a six-hour hearing in which two county election officers testified that the […]

Oct 17, 2011

Company’s Drug Screen Contractor Faces Claim

An employee of a car dealership who alleges he was fired after a random drug screen showed cocaine states a negligence claim against the company that collected the urine specimens for allegedly failing to follow the testing protocol, but he can’t sue the third-party administrator of the car dealership’s drug screening program or the lab […]

Jul 6, 2011

No Habeas Jurisdiction for Phone Ringing Offense

A defendant whose parole was revoked, in part, for a conviction and fine for causing a telephone to ring with intent to annoy in violation of Va. Code § 18.2-429 is not “detained” within the meaning of Va. Code § 8.01-654(A) and the Fairfax Circuit Court does not have jurisdiction to consider his petition for […]

Feb 21, 2011

Lawyer beats pro se malpractice lawsuit

The slightly built woman stands, apparently alone, on a busy corner in bustling Tysons Corner, Virginia. In the video she posted on YouTube, she is dwarfed by the office buildings behind her and appears in danger of being blown over by the rush of traffic. The woman carries a battery of signs – two sandwich-style […]

Jan 31, 2011

Infant settlement procedures get an overhaul in Fairfax

Some Northern Virginia judges and lawyers are taking a fresh look at what had been a routine procedure intended to protect the rights of children when settling their civil claims. In Loudoun and Fairfax Counties, judges have decided that, in many cases where they are called on to approve tort settlements, they want to pick […]