On the heels of recent sentencing discussions, the Charlottesville General District Court will hold a hearing in the case of George Huguely, charged with the murder of fellow UVA student Yeardley Love. The hearing, scheduled for Wednesday at 9:05am, will likely address requests for medical records of Yeardley Love filed by Huguely’s attorney, Rhonda Quagliana, and contested by prosecuting attorney Dave Chapman.
According to court documents, Huguely’s defense requested medical records from the UVA Department of Student Health, UVA Athletics Department and the Charlottesville Albemarle Rescue Squad. In a November 12 motion to quash the defense’s subpoenae, Commonwealth’s Attorney Chapman called the requests "grossly overbroad." On December 1, the Charlottesville General District Court approved a motion filed by defense attorney Quagliana to seal any medical records obtained through subpoenae.
Huguely faces a charge of first degree murder, a Class Two felony that carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment. News of the trial follows publication of a comment from a Charlottesville police officer, who remarked that Huguely would not face the death penalty because the charges against him "were not going to change." The death penalty is only imposed as a sentence in cases of capital murder, considered a Class One felony.
