Virginia

5-attorney family law firm is lead sponsor for NASCAR driver, hopes he will win race and new clients

A five-attorney family law firm in Richmond, Va., is taking an innovative approach to advertising for new clients. As lead sponsor for NASCAR driver Joe Nemechek, the Friedman Law firm will have its name emblazoned on the hood, roof, trunk and sides of his number 66 race car this weekend,…

Sep 5, 2014 3:30 PM CDT

Ex-governor of Virginia and wife found guilty on most counts in federal corruption case

A former Virginia attorney general and Republican governor who was once considered a U.S. presidential prospect is now the first former governor in state history to be convicted of a felony. Following a high-profile five-week public corruption trial, Robert F. “Bob” McDonnell and his wife were convicted Thursday on most…

Sep 4, 2014 3:15 PM CDT

4th Circuit panel refuses to stay same-sex marriage ruling

A three-judge panel of the Richmond, Va.-based 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has refused to stay its ruling last month striking down Virginia’s ban on same-sex marriage. Unless the U. S. Supreme Court intervenes, the 2-1 decision paves the way for same-sex marriages to begin in Virginia on Wednesday,…

Aug 15, 2014 6:00 PM CDT

James Brady, gun-control advocate wounded in ‘81 attack on President Reagan, dies at 73

James Brady, a former White House press secretary who became a prominent advocate for gun control after he was severely wounded in a 1981 assassination attempt on President Ronald Reagan, died Monday following what his family described as a series of health issues. He was 73 years old. The attack…

Aug 4, 2014 8:25 PM CDT

Divided 4th Circuit panel strikes Virginia same-sex marriage ban

Applying strict scrutiny, a divided three-judge federal appeals court panel ruled Monday that a district court judge in Virginia got it right earlier this year when she struck the state’s ban on same-sex marriage as unconstitutional. In a 2-1 ruling (PDF) on Monday, the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals…

Jul 28, 2014 6:40 PM CDT

Lawyer stole $4.8M, duped banks with worthless checks and credit-card payments

While still in practice, a former Virginia lawyer took advantage of multiple banks, two bankruptcy clients, his wife and his mother in a series of schemes that brought in over $4.8 million, he admits in a stipulated court filing. In a new twist on a fraudulent-check scheme that has snared…

Jul 21, 2014 10:20 PM CDT

Police refuse to execute warrant for photos of youth’s erection in sexting case

Updated: Criminally charged over allegations he texted an explicit video to his 15-year-old girlfriend, a 17-year-old Virginia youth is now fighting the prosecution’s effort to take photos of his erect penis for evidentiary purposes, under a warrant approved by a juvenile court judge, his lawyer says. The unidentified defendant’s trial…

Jul 10, 2014 4:31 PM CDT

Runaway SUV crashes into courthouse, eliminating power and air conditioning

A Virginia courthouse closed Wednesday after a runaway SUV crashed into the side of the Colonial Heights building. The SUV, which had no driver at the wheel, escaped from a nearby car wash when a worker there tried to move it after it was detailed but then couldn’t stop it,…

Jul 9, 2014 7:50 PM CDT

Virginia lawmaker is accused of having sex with teen worker at his law office

A Virginia state delegate whose law license was reinstated in 2012 has been accused of having sex with a 17-year-old girl who worked at his law firm. Joseph Morrissey, a 56-year-old Richmond criminal-defense lawyer, was indicted on Monday, report the Washington Post, the Richmond Times-Dispatch and NBC Washington. Prosecutors allege…

Jul 1, 2014 3:30 PM CDT

Assistant county attorney fired after winning a city council seat

A Fairfax County, Virginia, assistant county attorney says she approached her boss earlier this year—both in person and in writing—about running for Fairfax City Council and that he gave her the OK. He fired her when she won the election, the Washington Post reports. Nancy Fry Loftus had been a…

Jun 30, 2014 7:45 PM CDT

Virginia man chooses vasectomy over longer prison term

A 27-year-old Virginia man has agreed to get a vasectomy as part of a plea deal in a child endangerment case. The June 4 plea deal for Jessie Lee Herald shaves up to five years off his prison sentence, report the Northern Virginia Daily, the Associated Press and the Washington…

Jun 25, 2014 11:15 AM CDT

UVA email exposed confidential data for 155 clerkship applicants, including GPA and class rank

A proud tradition of placing law students in prestigious judicial clerkships at the University of Virginia School of Law obviously involves applicants with top qualifications. But fellow UVA law students were unexpectedly left in little doubt about 155 of their classmates’ credentials this week. An administrator accidentally sent a spreadsheet…

Jun 5, 2014 7:55 PM CDT

Some children brought to US illegally qualify for in-state tuition, Va. AG announces

Citing a duty to comply with federal rules and the U.S. Constitution, Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring has announced that some students living in the state without legal permission will qualify for in-state college tuition without a change in the law. Herring acted after the state legislature failed to approve…

Apr 30, 2014 1:31 PM CDT

Climate scientist’s emails are shielded from disclosure, Virginia Supreme Court says

The Virginia Supreme Court has ruled that a climate scientist’s emails are exempt from disclosure under the state’s Freedom of Information Act. The state supreme court decision (PDF) said emails by researcher Michael Mann while he was a professor at the University of Virginia don’t have to be disclosed because…

Apr 18, 2014 1:33 PM CDT

‘Mudslinging’ motions by McDonnell lawyers compare prosecutors to Caligula

Bust of Emperor Caligula. Image from Shutterstock. Motions filed on behalf of former Virginia Gov. Robert McDonnell excoriate prosecutors as they offer a look at defense strategy in corruption case. The court documents argue that McDonnell’s actions on behalf of a diet-supplement company weren’t official acts that violate federal law,…

Mar 11, 2014 4:29 PM CDT