Weekly Edition
Going Green
By Peter Vieth
September 22, 2008
Local lawmakers – whether in the congested suburbs of major urban centers or in smaller communities around the country – have embraced green building standards.
Those standards are exemplified, if not defined outright, by the LEED criteria adopted by the private U.S. Green Building Council. “LEED” stands for “Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design.”
Local officials are […]
Terms of death settlements always must be made public
By Peter Vieth
September 22, 2008
The terms of wrongful death settlements in Virginia are always public information, even when the settlements are the result of private mediation, the Supreme Court of Virginia has ruled.
The opinion in the case of four deaths related to cardiac surgery reaffirms and expands the rule in a 1988 case that required disclosure of death settlement […]
Anti-spam law struck for being ‘overbroad’
By Alan Cooper
September 22, 2008
It’s unusual for the Supreme Court of Virginia to take a second look at a decided case.
It’s highly unusual for the high court to switch from a 4-3 affirmance to a unanimous reversal of a criminal conviction. The high-profile subject is spammer Jeremy Jaynes, and the reversal stemmed from a second look at a recent […]
Independent assessment a key to dealing with disaster
By Virginia Lawyers Weekly
September 22, 2008
The collapse of the building at Chester Village earlier this month is a stark reminder that construction can be a dangerous business. A worker on the Chesterfield County structure was killed when the second floor of the building collapsed onto the first.
While a disaster such as that one is rare, an owner or […]
No discovery of hospital policies, Fairfax judge says
By Deborah Elkins
September 22, 2008
A woman who alleged she partially delivered her stillborn baby at home less than an hour after a hospital discharged her is not entitled to discovery of the hospital’s written policies pertaining to her personal medical care or its policies for dealing with non-English speaking patients or treatment of patients by on-call physicians.
Fairfax Circuit Judge […]
Grocer’s $16M award for fraud, distress overturned
By Alan Cooper
September 22, 2008
Jonathan F. Johnson, once regarded as the country’s most successful minority grocer, contended that his supplier had forced his companies out of business and broken him personally.
A Richmond Circuit Court jury agreed last year and awarded him $16 million from Minnesota-based SuperValu Inc., the third-largest grocery supplier in the country.
Earlier this month, however, the Supreme […]
McDonnell, top deputies take a pay cut
By Peter Vieth
September 22, 2008
The Virginia Attorney General’s office is not waiting for the budget ax to fall from Gov. Tim Kaine’s office before cutting spending. Reacting to warnings of state agency cuts, Attorney General Bob McDonnell and nine of his top deputies are taking voluntary 2-percent salary reductions.
Chief Deputy AG Bill Mims explained that the pay cuts […]
Appel is honored by state treasurers group
By Peter Vieth
September 22, 2008
Arlington County lawyer Kevin R. Appel has been honored for more than 20 years of providing legal advice to Virginia treasurers. Appel was awarded the Treasurers’ Association of Virginia 2008 President’s Award at the group’s annual conference in Williamsburg.
Appel retired in May as Chief Deputy Treasurer and Legal Counsel to the treasurer of Arlington […]
‘White House Project’ founder to address VWAA conference
By Virginia Lawyers Weekly
September 22, 2008
Marie Wilson, founder and president of The White House Project, will be the keynote speaker at the biennial conference of the Virginia Women Attorneys Association in Williamsburg Oct. 3 and 4.
Wilson will speak at the banquet at Kingsmill Resort & Spa on Oct. 4.
The White House project aims to advance women’s leadership in all communities […]
VSB to close its office in Northern Virginia
By Alan Cooper
September 22, 2008
The Virginia State Bar will close its Alexandria office when its lease expires in September 2009.
VSB Executive Director Karen A. Gould said the closing will save about $200,000 a year. The office has four attorneys and two support staff who prosecute lawyer disciplinary cases.
The attorneys in the office have been given an option of teleworking […]
IMPORTANT OPINIONS
- Traffic Offenses - Bifurcated Trial ‘Notice’ DNA in Traffic Court
- Tort - Telecom Company Can Sue for Business Conspiracy
- Tort - Government Not Liable for Stability Test
- Search & Seizure - Vague Affidavit Cannot Support Warrant
- Search & Seizure - Invalid Warrant - Affidavit Specificity
- Negligence - FELA - Wrongful Death - Release