Virginia

Spitball-Equivalent Incident Gets Boy, 14, Expelled From High School and Criminally Charged

Bored, a 14-year-old Virginia high school student admittedly did a dumb thing in the cafeteria during lunch period. He blew small plastic pellets at fellow students through a plastic pen tube, striking three. “They flinched. They looked annoyed,” Andrew Mikel II told the Washington Post. Now the Spotsylvania High School…

Feb 2, 2011 1:42 AM CST

Highly Regarded Va. Lawyer Killed in Police Standoff

A Virginia lawyer who practiced law with his wife was shot and killed by police Friday after he fired shots in an eight-hour standoff at his home. The lawyer, Richard Ferris II of Chesterfield, was “highly regarded” for his civil and family law practice, the Richmond Times Dispatch reports. He…

Jan 31, 2011 12:27 PM CST

Warm Smile and Calm Spirit Helps Former Legal Secretary Make Transition to Nursing Field

Corrected: Laid off for a year from her former job as a legal secretary, Janet Studenski wasn’t going to take a chance of missing the news if she was hired for the overnight hospice job she’d been seeking. So she even carried her cellphone into the bathroom, reports the Charlotte…

Jan 12, 2011 8:26 PM CST

Ex-CIA Agent Charged in Alleged Leaks to Reporter; WaPo Says Info May Have Gone to NY Times

A former CIA officer has been federally indicted for allegedly leaking classified information to an unidentified reporter. Citing unidentified attorneys and former intelligence officials, the Washington Post reports that the journalist to whom Jeffrey Sterling, 43, is accused of leaking information is James Risen of the New York Times. The…

Jan 6, 2011 10:32 PM CST

Judge Strikes Down Part of Health Care Law

A federal judge in Virginia has struck down the insurance mandate in the new health care law. The ruling (PDF) by U.S. District Judge Henry Hudson is the first to strike down any part of the law, CNN reports. The government has won two other rulings on the merits in…

Dec 13, 2010 5:25 PM CST

Courthouse Holiday Display Includes ‘Star Wars’ Message and Atheist Contributions

Updated: The holiday display at a courthouse in Leesburg, Va., includes a Star Wars message and five atheist contributions under a new policy that grants permits for 10 displays on a first-come, first-served basis. One display is a large “letter from Jesus” appealing for kindness and civility that was written…

Dec 13, 2010 2:18 PM CST

Amended Law Drops ‘At,’ Resulting in Acquittal

A Virginia man accused of passing a stopped school bus has been acquitted because an amended law dropped the word “at.” The law as amended in 1970 requires drivers to stop school buses, rather than to stop at them, the Washington Post reports. The law reads: “A person is guilty…

Dec 1, 2010 1:29 PM CST

New Question About MERS Mortgage System: Does It Owe Money for Unpaid Fees?

In the latest challenge to a controversial nationwide method of registering mortgage ownership, a Virginia lawmaker is requesting an opinion from the state attorney general on whether Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems is required to pay a fee every time a home loan is transferred. MERS is the glue that holds…

Nov 1, 2010 11:15 PM CDT

Inmate’s Letter Seeking Forgiveness Didn’t Have Intended Effect

A jail inmate awaiting trial on sexual assault charges wrote an apology letter to the 87-year-old victim, asking her to forgive him and drop the case against him. The letter didn’t have its intended effect, the Virginian-Pilot reports. Instead it became another piece of evidence in the criminal case against…

Oct 6, 2010 10:30 AM CDT

Fake Pizza Orders, Prank Calls, Website Attacks, and Now a Law Firm Bomb Threat

A Virginia law firm that has sued thousands of people for alleged illegal downloading was evacuated Thursday after receiving an e-mail bomb threat. Police didn’t identify the law firm, but Leesburg Today says it was Dunlap, Grubb, & Weaver. The Leesburg law firm calls itself the U.S. Copyright Group and…

Oct 4, 2010 12:50 PM CDT

Former Arnold & Porter Associate Charged with 10 More Child Porn Counts

A former Arnold & Porter associate is facing additional counts of possessing child pornography after a police review of materials found in a search of his home. Joshua Gessler, 41, was accused last month of paying a 15-year-old girl for sex and photographing the encounter, the Washington Post blog Crime…

Sep 17, 2010 11:28 AM CDT

Judge Refuses Va. AG’s Request for Records of Global Warming Scientist

A Virginia judge has blocked an attempt by Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli to obtain records of a global warming scientist. Cuccinelli is a global warming skeptic, and he wanted the records as part of a probe into possible fraud in taxpayer-funded research on the issue by former professor Michael…

Aug 31, 2010 12:50 PM CDT

Ex-Lawyer Gets 18 Months, Must Repay $628K in Mortgage Fraud That Earned Him About $14K

A 52-year-old former Virginia Beach real estate attorney has been sentenced to 18 months in a federal mortgage fraud case. William Timberlake, who pleaded guilty earlier this year to one count of wire fraud, also agreed to pay $628,000 in restitution, reports the Virginian-Pilot. He earned about $14,000 in fees…

Aug 26, 2010 4:58 PM CDT

Arnold & Porter Associate Charged in Child Porn Case Concerning Teen Girl

An online profile for a corporate and securities associate in the Northern Virginia office of Arnold & Porter was apparently removed from the law firm’s website around the time that news broke he had been charged with one count of production of child pornography and five counts of possession. The…

Aug 24, 2010 11:40 PM CDT

Va. AG Joins Immigration Debate, Supports Status Checks During All Cop Stops

Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli has issued a legal opinion that says police have the authority to check the immigration status of anyone lawfully stopped or arrested in the state. The opinion (PDF) says police in Virginia have the authority to make the same type of inquiries contemplated by the…

Aug 3, 2010 11:38 AM CDT