Prince William County Circuit Court

May 9, 2014

Religious Belief No Basis for Incompetency

A Prince William County Circuit Court holds that defendant has not met his burden of proving by a preponderance of the evidence that he is not competent to stand trial on criminal charges; the court concludes defendant is competent, despite his religious belief that he is not subject to the laws of the commonwealth or […]

Apr 14, 2014

Son faults long-term care facility for mother’s death – Defense Verdict

The decedent was admitted to Manassas Health & Rehab Center on Oct. 3, 2006. She had undergone surgery to repair a fractured wrist in August 2006, and demonstrated weakness and fatigue during her recovery at home. At the time of her admission, she was 83. During the course of her stay, she was treated for […]

Aug 13, 2013

Lawsuit seeks mom’s ashes amid murder case

MANASSAS (AP) — For years, Joseph Velez endured the grief of his mother’s 2008 death and the frustration that, in his mind, it had been wrongly ruled a suicide. Then earlier this year, he was hit with another indignity: learning that his estranged brother had stored their mother’s cremated remains in a rented storage locker. […]

May 10, 2013

Parents who lost son denied visits with grandchild

A mother could cut off contact between her two-year-old son and his paternal grandparents, whose own son had joint custody of the child, but who died in an auto accident when the grandson was barely two years old. In a case it called “very sad and unfortunate,” the Court of Appeals upheld denial of the […]

Dec 31, 2012

Motorcyclist’s leg crushed when struck by drunken driver – $600,000 Settlement

On March 26, 2012, the 32-year-old plaintiff was injured while riding his motorcycle on Prince William Parkway. Plaintiff was in a right turn lane when the defendant, driving while intoxicated, drifted into the turn lane and struck the plaintiff’s motorcycle, causing it to fall onto its side, slide off the roadway and hit an embankment. […]

Dec 17, 2012

Woman is permanently disabled after auto accident – $1,900,000 Settlement

On Nov. 14, 2011, the 45-year-old plaintiff was seriously injured after the driver of a commercial vehicle ran a red light in Bristow and slammed into her car, causing the vehicle to overturn several times. Plaintiff was rescued from her Volkswagen Jetta by emergency personnel using the Jaws of Life extrication tool, and then transported […]

Dec 3, 2012

Dump truck driver struck and killed by train on private roadway – $2,500,000 Verdict

The decedent was a dump truck driver carrying gravel to a worksite on private land reached by a private road within Prince William County. As the decedent traveled down a dirt road to an unmarked railroad crossing, his view to the right to see any oncoming trains was hindered by a stack of wood that […]

Nov 26, 2012

Wolfe’s lawyers seek to bar retrial of case

McLEAN (AP) A former death row inmate in Virginia whose conviction was overturned on accusations of misconduct by prosecutors is petitioning a judge for his immediate release. Lawyers for Justin Wolfe filed the motion Nov. 16 in U.S. District Court in Norfolk. They argue that Virginia prosecutors have waited too long to retry Wolfe on […]

Nov 12, 2012

Implant became stuck during hip replacement surgery – Defense Verdict

Plaintiff, age 59, underwent left hip replacement surgery with defendant orthopedic surgeon on Oct. 22, 2007. At surgery, the defendant inserted the trial stem implant into the plaintiff’s femur without incident. It advanced to the proper position, i.e., it fully seated. Intra-operative X-rays confirmed the appropriate fit, leg length, etc. After removing the trial implant, […]

Nov 2, 2012

Prosecutor accused of bias in capital case retrial

MANASSAS, Va. (AP) — Defense attorneys on Wednesday accused prosecutors in Fairfax and Prince William counties of bias in their efforts to retry a former death-row inmate whose conviction and sentence were overturned by a federal court. Attorneys for Justin Wolfe sought to put on evidence at an acrimonious hearing in Prince William Circuit Court to […]

Oct 4, 2012

Interview With Carrier Is Protected Work Product

A plaintiff’s assertion that defendant driver pleaded guilty to a traffic infraction but now contests liability in this auto-accident personal injury suit has not shown a substantial need to obtain a copy of the transcript or tape of defendant’s interview with the insurance carrier, and the Prince William County Circuit Court denies a motion to […]

Aug 20, 2012

Divorce client wins verdict on equitable distribution claim – $167,744 Verdict

The plaintiff alleged that the defendants, who were plaintiff’s counsel in his divorce and equitable distribution litigation between 2002 and 2005, failed to present evidence and argument to the court which would have resulted in five residential properties acquired during the marriage being classified as entirely plaintiff’s separate property, or part-marital/part-separate. The defendants cla[...]