The remand of the Supreme Court of Virginia’s ruling in Magruder v. Commonwealth appeared to be the most likely result of the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling on Thursday on the application of the Confrontation Clause to lab reports. The U.S. ...

Tagged with: Supreme Court of Virginia U.S. Supreme Court

Forensic scientists may be more frequent visitors to Virginia courtrooms as a result of the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling yesterday that laboratory reports are testimonial evidence and therefore invoke the Confrontation Clause of the U.S. Constitution. The court split 5-4, with ...

Tagged with: Criminal U.S. Supreme Court

Special education directors in Hampton and Newport News have little concern over a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling allowing reimbursement for private special ed placements. According to the Daily Press, the high court recently ruled that parents of special education ...

Tagged with: U.S. Supreme Court

An 8-to-1 majority of the U.S. Supreme Court today held it was an unconstitutional intrusion for school officials to search a 13-year-old girl’s bra and underpants for a suspected prescription drug.  “[T]he content of the suspicion failed to match the ...

Tagged with: Search & Seizure U.S. Supreme Court

An 8-to-1 majority of the U.S. Supreme Court today held it was an unconstitutional intrusion for school officials to search a 13-year-old girl’s bra and underpants for a suspected prescription drug.  “[T]he content of the suspicion failed to match the ...

Tagged with: Search & Seizure U.S. Supreme Court

The 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals split 6-5 today in upholding the constitutionality of Virginia’s partial-birth abortion law. The votes in the case will underscore the arguments of those who stress the importance of the President in shaping the ...

Tagged with: 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals U.S. Supreme Court

The 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals split 6-5 today in upholding the constitutionality of Virginia’s partial-birth abortion law. The votes in the case will underscore the arguments of those who stress the importance of the President in shaping the ...

Tagged with: 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals U.S. Supreme Court

The capital murder case of Daryl Renard Atkins finally appears to be over. The Supreme Court of Virginia ruled today that the prosecution had no way to challenge the trial judge’s commutation of Atkins’ death penalty to life in prison ...

Tagged with: Criminal Supreme Court of Virginia U.S. Supreme Court

The U.S. Supreme Court says a jury needs court guidance when asked to award pain-and-suffering damages for a FELA plaintiff worried about getting cancer from asbestos exposure. The Court, in a 7-to-2 decision, remanded a Tennessee case where the judge ...

Tagged with: Personal Injury U.S. Supreme Court

The U.S. Supreme Court holds a cocaine user did not commit felony facilitation of a Virginia drug dealer’s business merely by using his cellphone to arrange small purchases for personal use. The case, decided yesterday, arises out of an investigation ...

Tagged with: U.S. Supreme Court