Joe Draego was in court today for a charge that he assaulted Showing Up for Racial Justice activist Sara Tansey when he retrieved a phone she allegedly snatched from white-protest organizer Jason Kessler back in February. The hearing in court was pretty routine, but afterward, Draego accused Tansey’s lawyer—commonwealth’s attorney candidate Jeff Fogel—of not acting “in […]
Joe Draego was in court today for a charge that he assaulted Showing Up for Racial Justice activist Sara Tansey when he retrieved a phone she allegedly snatched from white-protest organizer Jason Kessler back in February. The hearing in court was pretty routine, but afterward, Draego accused Tansey’s lawyer—commonwealth’s attorney candidate Jeff Fogel—of not acting “in […]
Come June 13, Charlottesville likely is going to have a new commonwealth’s attorney, given the unlikelihood a Republican candidate will emerge for the general election in November. That person will be either Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney Joe Platania, who seemingly has the backing of the city’s Democratic machine, or Jeff Fogel, who has captured the support […]
Activist Veronica Fitzhugh and commonwealth’s attorney candidate Jeff Fogel both appeared in court this morning for their respective assault charges, accompanied by dozens of supporters. The brief 10am hearing was over before some people could get through security and into the courtroom. Fogel represents Fitzhugh, who was charged May 31 with assault and disorderly conduct stemming […]
Commonwealth’s attorney candidate Jeff Fogel was arrested in the wee hours today when five police cars came to his house following an alleged assault earlier in the evening outside Miller’s on the Downtown Mall. That was where the latest confrontation between whites-righter Jason Kessler and Showing Up for Racial Justice took place after Kessler dined at […]
Auction block Despite a looming lawsuit, City Council charged ahead and voted 3-2 to sell the statue of General Robert E. Lee and rename the park that bears his name. Councilor Kathy Galvin, one of the two votes against the removal, reminded the public that a move is not imminent until the litigation is resolved. […]
Attorney Jeff Fogel has been in the thick of almost every civil rights action in the city during the past decade. He sued the city for its restrictions on panhandling. He’s sued Albemarle police on behalf of plaintiffs who say they were targeted by an officer because they were black. And he’s sued Charlottesville police […]
Greenway to nowhere Perhaps you’ve noticed the small gravel trail that runs alongside McIntire Road, past the old Lane High School that now serves as the Albemarle County Office Building and the baseball field and then, seemingly, stops in its tracks at Harris Street. In 2006, the city began a project to build the multi-use […]
A just-printed Albemarle County Police Department pamphlet was intended to build trust and cooperation between citizens and law enforcement during interactions that are now under a national spotlight. Its content, however, has alarmed some local attorneys, who say the guide’s instructions are incorrect or even unconstitutional. “The document is very concerning,” says Legal Aid Justice […]
A federal judge issued an opinion last week that allows a lawsuit against Albemarle County and police officer Andrew Holmes to proceed on its racial profiling claim, while giving Holmes qualified immunity on claims he violated the plaintiffs’ Fourth Amendment rights when he showed up at their home around midnight to look for a DMV license […]
The man who lay down in front of the dais and was dragged out of a City Council meeting June 20 after calling Muslims “monstrous maniacs” has filed a lawsuit against the city, claiming his constitutional rights were violated. Albemarle resident Joe Draego, 64, has been a regular at Charlottesville City Council meetings, voicing his […]