Although the trial court may have erred in admitting the defendant’s Facebook posts during the sentencing phase of his murder trial, the defendant’s failure to present the precise arguments to the court foreclosed his ability to raise the issue on ...

Tagged with: Criminal Judge William G. Petty Virginia Court of Appeals

Although a jury at sentencing was allowed to hear about a robbery defendant’s Facebook post – allegedly offering stolen pills for sale – the Court of Appeals of Virginia refused to disturb the man’s conviction and 28 year sentence. The ...

Tagged with: Criminal Law Judge William G. Petty Virginia Court of Appeals News

Because neither parent consented to an adoption, the Juvenile and Domestic Relations court did not have subject matter jurisdiction to address whether the father’s consent was withheld contrary to the best interests of the child. Any adoption must therefore originate ...

Tagged with: Domestic Relations Judge William G. Petty Virginia Court of Appeals

Once the court bifurcated a couple’s divorce and equitable distribution cases, the husband’s death during the process of dividing marital assets did not deprive the court of jurisdiction or the ability to distribute property fairly and equitably. Background On March ...

Tagged with: Domestic Relations Judge William G. Petty Virginia Court of Appeals

In denying defendant’s motion to withdraw his guilty plea to distributing heroin, the court noted his claim that the trial judge erred in accepting the plea without determining he was competent was first raised on appeal, he did not object ...

Tagged with: Criminal Judge William G. Petty Virginia Court of Appeals

Where the commonwealth provided eyewitness testimony and fingerprints as evidence, the defendant’s convictions for burglary, conspiracy and larceny were affirmed. Background Cobb testified that, while she was walking home from school, she saw a man carrying a “box full of ...

Tagged with: Criminal Judge William G. Petty Virginia Court of Appeals

A jury convicted Thomas Lienau of involuntary manslaughter. The court reversed, holding it was error to not give the jury a self-defense instruction when such an instruction was requested by Lienau and supported by the facts. Background Lienau owned a ...

Tagged with: Criminal Judge William G. Petty Virginia Court of Appeals

The trial court correctly held that, absent some reason why its order articulating a fixed pension annuity could not be enforced, it lacked jurisdiction to amend that order – even if the fixed amount therein didn’t match the percentage share ...

Tagged with: Civil Procedure Domestic Relations Family Law Judge William G. Petty Virginia Court of Appeals

The circuit court did not err in terminating the parental rights of a father of six based on his conviction for involuntary manslaughter six years earlier. The offense arose from the death of his infant daughter when he left her ...

Tagged with: Criminal Family Law Judge William G. Petty Parental Rights Virginia Court of Appeals

As seasoned attorneys know, the lofty principles that attract aspiring lawyers can quickly be overshadowed by client emergencies, Sisyphean scheduling conundrums, unreasonable opposing counsel, billing targets, intrafirm politics, and understaffed courts. But from time to time, our esteemed judges take ...

Tagged with: Judge David A. Oblon Judge Henry Coke Morgan Jr. Judge John A. Gibney Jr. Judge Norman K. Moon Judge Robert E. Payne Judge Roger L. Gregory Judge William G. Petty