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Criminal – Probable cause includes dog’s positive alert for narcotics
Virginia circuit court affirms probable cause based on police dog Vudu’s positive narcotics alert during traffic stop in Cason case.
Criminal – Defendant granted resentencing for violation of supervised release
The 4th Circuit vacated and remanded the resentencing of Preston Mills Jr. for violation of supervised release in EDVA due to failure to consider credit for time served.
Criminal – Claimed sentencing error deemed harmless
The 4th Circuit affirmed sentencing for Xavier Holley in EDVA, ruling any claimed grouping error in his Hobbs Act robbery convictions was harmless.
Restitution can’t be ordered for pre-MVRA crime, SCOTUS rules
The Supreme Court ruled restitution under the MVRA is criminal punishment and cannot be imposed retroactively for crimes committed before the law took effect in 1996.
Supreme Court of Virginia backs judge on failure-to-accept-responsibility factor
The Virginia Supreme Court ruled that a judge may consider a defendant’s failure to accept responsibility in a probation revocation sentence without punishing a not-guilty plea.
Criminal: Cancer patient sentenced to 48 months’ imprisonment
Where the district court committed no clear error when it found that the Bureau of Prisons could provide the necessary care for the defendant’s cancer, its 48-month sentence was affirmed.
Criminal: Double life + 790 months’ sentence reduced to 35 years
Where a man sentenced to two life terms plus 790 months’ imprisonment for his convictions on multiple counts, including for his involvement in two killings, had his sentence reduced to 35 years, a divided court affirmed. The district court did not abuse its discretion in finding that sentence disparities between the defendant and others weighed in favor of granting relief.
Criminal: District court wrongly applied sentencing enhancements
Where the district court applied sentencing enhancements that penalized the defendant for unlawfully possessing firearms that played no role in the offense for which he was convicted, it erred.
Nexus Services exec sentenced to 6.5 years for employment tax fraud
An executive of Virginia-based bonding company Nexus Services was sentenced to 80 months in federal prison for employment tax fraud Thursday.
Criminal: Defendant’s attack on 63-month sentence fails
Where the district court adequately explained why it sentenced a man who pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon to 63 months’ imprisonment, the sentence was affirmed.
Criminal: Heroin conspiracy defendant’s compassionate release motion is granted
Where a defendant’s sentencing range today would be significantly shorter than the range at the time of his sentencing, his record of rehabilitation is a strong one and the 18 U.S.C. § 3553(a) factors were in his favor, his 196-month sentence was reduced to time served as of Nov. 17, 2025.
Criminal: Drug defendant’s challenge to sentence fails
Where the district court adequately explained why it sentenced a man who pleaded guilty to distributing cocaine base to 48 months’ imprisonment, its sentence was affirmed.
Verdicts & Settlements
- Medical Malpractice – Patient suffers stroke from ruptured aneurysm
- Premises Liability- Man suffers paralysis after bench tipped back
- Medical Malpractice – Botched tubal ligation results in childbirth
- Motor Vehicle Negligence – Pickup truck passenger dies from crash injuries
- Medical Malpractice-Patient received spleen injury during colonoscopy
- Medical Malpractice – Patient suffers complications from improper cyst removal
- Motor Vehicle Negligence Henrico driver sustained wrist fracture in five-car collision
- Medical Malpractice-Patient dies following blood loss in surgery
- Motor Vehicle Negligence – Defense points to plaintiff’s prior collision, stressors
- Medical Malpractice – Ingrown toenail removal leads to CRPS type 2
- Motor Vehicle Negligence Rear-seat passenger injured when car hits telephone pole
Opinion Digests
- Arbitration – Court decides whether nonparty to arbitration agreement can enforce it
- Constitutional – Circuit court applied wrong standard in church dispute
- Civil Procedure – Medical malpractice statute of limitations doesn’t apply to claims against hospital
- Bankruptcy – Creditor can’t examine debtor under Bankruptcy Code § 707(b)(1)
- Administrative – Court construes Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act
- Taxation – County’s tax assessment was ‘plainly wrong’
- Negligence – Release doesn’t bar rider’s negligence claim against horse owner
- Bankruptcy – Motion to reinstate Chapter 7 petition previously dismissed by court is denied
- Wills and trusts – Court applied incorrect statute of limitations to breach of trust claims
- Administrative – Doctor’s attacks on license suspension order fails
- Habeas Corpus – Petition attacking military court martial is dismissed
- Parent and Child – Stepmother awarded custody of stepchildren over father’s objection
