Virginia

Prosecutor Resigns in Wake of Federal Judge’s Reversal of Capital Murder Case Conviction

Criticized last week by a federal judge for his conduct in a capital murder case, a Virginia prosecutor announced today that he would resign, effective tomorrow. “It is not an easy decision,” says the letter provided by Culpeper County Commonwealth’s Attorney Gary Close to the Star-Exponent. “My inclination is to…

Mar 12, 2012 10:22 PM CDT

Mom Takes Job with Lawyer to Help Son Win Reversal of Capital Murder Conviction

Updated: A man who was 15 years old when a 74-year-old woman was shot to death in 1996 has won the reversal of his capital murder conviction with the help of his mother, who took a job in a lawyer’s office to help him pursue an appeal. A federal judge…

Mar 5, 2012 8:47 PM CST

Law Firm, Police Hit By Hack Attacks; Lawyer Cell Phone Records Reportedly Accessed

A number of organizations, including at least one law firm, which were targeted late last week in online attacks for which the hacktivist collective known as Anonymous has claimed the blame are still working to get their websites back online. Meanwhile, confidential information that seemingly was obtained in the hack…

Feb 6, 2012 8:00 PM CST

‘Megaretrieval’ Effort Launched to Help Users Get Access to Files on Website Raided by Feds

Customers and other users who stored personal materials on Megaupload have another two weeks to retrieve their files, under an agreement negotiated by the embattled website and its hosting companies. However, it isn’t clear whether and how individuals can access their property since the raid by the U.S. that shut…

Jan 31, 2012 6:56 PM CST

Those with Legitimate Content on Megaupload Site Raided by Feds Could Lose It in ‘Data Genocide’

There’s bad news for those who may have stored personal and professional materials via the Megaupload.com website recently raided and shut down by the feds as they pursued a criminal online piracy case. Even if material was stored there in full compliance with copyright law, users of the site may…

Jan 30, 2012 10:05 PM CST

DOJ Charges Former CIA Agent with Leaking Classified Info in Post-9/11 World

A former CIA officer has been criminally charged by the U.S. Department of Justice for allegedly leaking classified information that may have been used by journalists. The criminal complaint (PDF) filed today against John Kiriakou, 47, in the Eastern District of Virginia obscures details of the accusations against him, the…

Jan 23, 2012 9:15 PM CST

‘Anonymous’ Claims Credit for DOJ, FBI Website Shutdowns, Retaliating for Megaupload Case

Responding to a U.S. Department of Justice announcement today of a major criminal case against operators of a website accused of pirating copyrighted material, the activist group of hackers known as Anonymous has claimed responsibility for subsequently interrupting service on the DOJ’s website and others. The DOJ said the timing…

Jan 20, 2012 2:20 AM CST

Feds Shut Down Megaupload.com, Say Indicted Site Operators Are Part of Worldwide ‘Mega Conspiracy’

Updated: A day after federal lawmakers blinked in the face of an unusual Internet lobbying campaign by websites unhappy about proposed legislation intended to protect copyright holders, the U.S. Department of Justice has announced a shutdown of a major file-sharing website and the indictment of seven individuals and two companies…

Jan 19, 2012 10:59 PM CST

Post-Sentencing Facebook Comments Put NinjaVideo ‘Phara’ On Fast Track to Prison Cell

The woman known as the “Phara” of a now-defunct movie downloading site apparently made two crucial miscalculations when she was sentenced earlier this month in a criminal copyright-infringement case. First, Hana Beshara posted about her 22-month prison term on a Facebook account for NinjaVideo and elsewhere, in a manner that…

Jan 17, 2012 10:40 PM CST

Boy, 5, in Custody After Police Say He Stabbed 3; Juice Box Issue May Have Sparked Altercation

A 5-year-old boy is reportedly in custody and being evaluated in Virginia, accused of stabbing three people over the holiday weekend with what Greene County Sheriff Steve Smith called an “edged weapon.” A neighbor said a dispute over a juice box may have sparked the altercation. Two other juveniles and…

Jan 17, 2012 6:49 PM CST

Longtime Lawyer, 72, Gets 3 Years in $1M Embezzlement

A longtime Virginia lawyer was sentenced yesterday to three years in prison for embezzling $1 million from a Bank of America subsidiary, despite his cooperation with the government and sentencing guidelines that called for a lesser penalty, reports the Richmond Times-Dispatch. William Orr Smith, 72, stole from LandSafe Inc. not…

Jan 11, 2012 5:43 PM CST

Law Student Charged in Registrar’s Office Break-In; Police Suspect He Sought UVA Transcript Paper

A University of Virginia law student is jailed and facing breaking and entering charges. The arrest of Joshua Peter Gomes by university police follows a break-in at the university registrar’s office that authorities were notified of yesterday, reports WVIR, an NBC affiliate. Police suspect Gomes may have sought official transcript…

Dec 7, 2011 10:37 PM CST

Va. Inmate Imprisoned for 27 Years Obtains Writ of Actual Innocence; He Now Works for State AG

A Virginia inmate who spent 27 years in prison for multiple rape convictions has obtained a writ of actual innocence and a job with the state attorney general who supported his quest. The Virginia Court of Appeals issued the writ exonerating Thomas Haynesworth on Tuesday in a 6-4 en banc…

Dec 7, 2011 4:40 PM CST

County Board Keeps Courthouse Display Policy for Now, Despite Skeleton Santa

Loudoun County commissioners in Leesburg, Va., discussed ending courthouse holiday displays Tuesday evening after controversy erupted over a skeleton Santa on a cross. Skeleton Santa was erected under a county board policy adopted last year that allows 10 holiday displays on the courthouse lawn on a first-come, first-served basis, MSNBC.com…

Dec 7, 2011 1:55 PM CST

New Smartphone Suit re Data-Sharing Software Targets Apple, Wireless Cos., Device Makers, Carrier IQ

In at least the third would-be class action filed since technology blogger Trevor Eckhart last month reported that smartphones are providing carriers with private information about individual users, eight major defendants are accused in a federal lawsuit (PDF) filed Dec. 2 in Delaware of violating wiretap law via their common…

Dec 6, 2011 1:44 AM CST