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Judge William N. Alexander II

Nov 9, 2018

Virginia FOIA does not apply to judiciary

Long distance phone records sought from the judiciary are not public records, as the Virginia Freedom of Information Act does not apply to the judiciary, including its executive secretary. Background On June 20, 2018, the Office of the Executive Secretary was heard on the Executive Secretary’s motion to construe, motion to dismiss, pleas in bar, […]

Nov 1, 2018

Judiciary not subject to open records law, judge says

As the Supreme Court of Virginia considers a new batch of rules to govern access to judicial records, a circuit judge explicitly ruled on a proposition the high court has only alluded to. The judge said the judiciary, including the administrative office of the state courts, is not subject to the state’s open records law. […]

Aug 24, 2018

Student hurt when column at state school fell on her – $1.6 Million Settlement

Plaintiff, a student at a Virginia public university, tied her hammock to two concrete columns in an open, public area on campus. One of the 800 pound columns fell on her, crushing her abdomen and pelvis. Two people were injured several years earlier when a similar column in the same location fell on them. The […]

Apr 27, 2017

Ruling clears judge of judicial misconduct

A ruling by a circuit judge may absolve a general district judge of claims that he misused his judicial status in a property dispute with a neighbor. The decision from retired Circuit Judge William N. Alexander II appears to provide cover for Botetourt County General District Judge William H. Cleaveland, who sought a quiet settlement […]

Jun 24, 2013

Head-on collision left plaintiff with severe headaches – $250,000 Verdict

Plaintiff was struck head-on on Va. Rt. 40 in Franklin County by a vehicle operated by the defendant. Defendant veered into plaintiff’s lane of travel. Both vehicles were damaged, and defendant admitted liability for the accident. Plaintiff went to the emergency room at Carilion Franklin Memorial Hospital the day following the accident, and within a […]

Mar 14, 2012

Va. Tech verdict likely not the last legal word

CHRISTIANSBURG, Va. (AP) — After a jury concluded Wednesday that Virginia Tech officials were negligent in their actions leading up to the 2007 deadly mass shooting, the state was giving strong signals of appealing the case while the plaintiff’s lawyer highlighted the significance of the case for future claims against state schools. The verdict in […]

Feb 22, 2012

University President Out as Defendant

A Montgomery County Circuit Court dismisses, on res judicata grounds, Virginia Tech’s university president as a defendant in this negligence suit filed by the estates of two students who were fatally shot on April 16, 2007, but says plaintiffs’ claims against the commonwealth for gross negligence may go to a jury. On April 16, 2009, […]

Jun 22, 2011

Bill: Warrant would be needed for GPS tracking

A bill introduced in Congress this month would put an end to a current police practice – use of a GPS tracking device without a warrant to follow a suspect. The measure would force law enforcement to get a judicial OK before using such electronic surveillance. Supporters say the bill protects basic privacy rights. Police […]

Jun 21, 2011

GPS Tracking Device Substitute for Surveillance

A Franklin County Circuit Court denies a defendant’s motion to suppress any evidence obtained against him after a GPS device was attached to his vehicle when it was parked at night on a public street in the city of Bedford, as the device was attached to the outside of the car, there was no evidence […]

May 5, 2011

Hall: AG should quit Tech shootings case

The lawyer for the families suing Virginia Tech over the April 16 shootings says Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli should step aside from representing the school because of his public comments about the lawsuits. Accusing Cuccinelli of jeopardizing a fair trial, Robert T. Hall is asking Judge William Alexander to disqualify the attorney general’s office […]

Feb 28, 2011

Recusal can be a touchy moment for a lawyer

It can be a ticklish and touchy moment for a lawyer: the judge in a case has a conflict and needs to pass the file to a colleague. But whether, and how, to ask a judge to recuse herself can be a major source of heartburn. As it turns out, judges are much more likely […]

Jan 7, 2011

Ad damnum, defamation cases settled while on appeal

Don’t look for rulings from the Supreme Court of Virginia in the Spear ad damnum case or the much-litigated defamation claim of a former Raytheon Technical Services Co. executive. Both have been settled under confidential terms, less than two weeks before a decision was due in the Raytheon case next Thursday and less than a […]

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