Uncorrupted: Bob McDonnell gets a free pass

Believe it or not, we were not wholly unsurprised by the recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling invalidating the multiple counts of corruption against former Virginia governor Bob McDonnell. The main reason we were expecting the supremes to issue a “get out of jail free” card for McDonnell is simple: During his tenure as governor, the […]

Parking garage ‘soap opera’ leads city to reject Brown’s offer

Mayor Mike Signer and City Councilor Kathy Galvin insist there is nothing personal in the city’s dispute with Mark Brown over control of the Water Street Parking Garage. In meetings with reporters July 6 after the city rejected Charlottesville Parking Center’s June 24 proposed settlement of the escalating controversy over the fate of the garage the city co-owns with Brown, […]

No emergency: Judge rejects parking center petition for special receiver

A judge heard Charlottesville Parking Center’s emergency petition to appoint a receiver to run the Water Street Garage June 27, three days before the parking center’s contract with the city expired, and he concluded such a move wasn’t justified. “This is an emergency of your own making,” said Judge Rick Moore in Charlottesville Circuit Court. “I […]

UPDATED: Judge denies Eramo’s request for Jackie’s e-mails

A judge denied Nicole Eramo’s request for additional documentation from Jackie in Eramo’s lawsuit against Rolling Stone. The 46-minute hearing was conducted June 20 before U.S. Magistrate Judge Joel C. Hoppe, who released his verdict the next day. Hoppe ruled that “the steps taken by Jackie’s counsel were relatively straight forward and appear to have […]

Just desserts: The ongoing loss of Virginia’s congressional clout

You know, there was a time—way back in those halcyon days that we political junkies like to call “the era of basically functional government”—when Virginia had one of the most effective and envied congressional delegations in the nation. Long a magnet for federal defense funds, the Old Dominion also boasted a raft of U.S. senators […]

City Council adopts gun control resolution

Gun control debate dominated the June 20 Charlottesville City Council meeting as members of opposing sides of the issue cited the Second Amendment—“the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed”—and the Declaration of Independence’s inalienable rights to “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness” that victims of gun violence […]

‘Outrageous’ search: County argues to drop lawsuit against cop

A federal judge heard Albemarle County’s motion to dismiss three lawsuits that allege Albemarle police officer Andrew Holmes targeted African-American males for unreasonable searches. At the June 20 hearing, Judge Glen Conrad focused on the suit brought by Bianca Johnson and Delmar Canada for a midnight search of their home in 2014 after Holmes ticketed Canada […]

Protecting the elderly

Elder abuse isn’t always physical, says Albemarle Commonwealth’s Attorney Robert Tracci, who describes a case that recently came through his office. An at-home care provider hired an employee who stole more than $20,000 worth of valuables from an elderly client. The employee sold the family heirlooms to a pawn shop and melted some down for […]

City lawyer: Condemnation of Water Street Garage has begun

How many lawyers does it take to schedule a hearing? Well, if it has anything to do with the highly contentious battle between the city and Mark Brown’s Charlottesville Parking Center, that would be five attorneys in Charlottesville Circuit Court today to set a date for CPC’s petition for the appointment of an emergency receiver. During the hearing, the […]