One for Kurt Pomrenke fans- June 26, 2008 Here are the father of the bride and the bride, his daughter Sarah, whom I think of as the little blonde Pomrenke girl.Most places I go, from Grundy to Norfolk, somebody knows Kurt.http://swvalaw.blogspot.com/2008/06/one-for-kurt-pomrenke-fans.html The vice of moderate legislation- June 25, 2008 Justice Kennedy's opinion for the majority in Kennedy v. Louisiana might inspire some legislators (like the ones we read about from Virginia and Tennessee) to reject moderation in matters governed by the Eighth Amendment.The legislators might say to themselves, we all need to take the extreme view on this, otherwise the Supreme Court will get the wrong idea the next time it surveys the views of "society."http://swvalaw.blogspot.com/2008/06/vice-of-moderate-legislation.html Using the VLW archives- June 24, 2008 In last week's Virginia Lawyers Weekly, Paul Fletcher posed this hypothetical:"My client just got served with papers filed by a lawyer named Steven R. Minor with the firm of Elliott, Lawson & Minor in Bristol. I dont know this guy. How can I get some information about him and his practice"One of his answers was to check the archives on VLW.That could work, evidently those archives include my name in connection with 26 opinions.A fellow I know in Charlottesville told me a while back that he...http://swvalaw.blogspot.com/2008/06/using-vlw-archives.html Fourth Circuit rejects claim to school district's information distribution system for issue advocacy- June 24, 2008 In Page v. Lexington County School District, the Fourth Circuit in an opinion by Judge Niemeyer, joined by Chief Judge Williams and Judge Duncan, affirmed the entry of summary judgment on the section 1983 claims of a citizen who sued for equal access to the school district's "information distribution system" that the district had used to oppose legislation the plaintiff favored.The amici supporting the appellee include the Virginia School Boards Association.http://swvalaw.blogspot.com/2008/06/fourth-circuit-rejects-claim-to-school.html If you do Virginia appeals, you must read this- June 23, 2008 Steve Emmert has an article up these days on his site that I take to mean that the Virginia Supreme Court is cracking down on procedural defaults. Similarly, VLW Blog has this post quoting Justice Keenan, who acknowledged that more Virginia appeals are getting sunk on procedural defaults.http://swvalaw.blogspot.com/2008/06/if-you-do-virginia-appeals-you-must.html Norfolk paper comes to Wise County- June 22, 2008 This article about the power plant in the works at Virginia City quotes one side talking about the other as saying this: "wrong on so many levels." Actually, all sides say that about their opponents all the time.Some of the discourse reminds me of my grandmother's opposition to the federal prison in Lee County - she didn't want a bunch of escaped federal inmates running up and down Route 58.http://swvalaw.blogspot.com/2008/06/norfolk-paper-comes-to-wise-county.html Vote on him, I dare you- June 21, 2008 The Asheville paper has this recap of the status of the nomination to the Fourth Circuit of Judge Conrad from North Carolina, who is not to be confused with the Judge Conrad from Virginia or the tough-guy actor.http://swvalaw.blogspot.com/2008/06/vote-on-him-i-dare-you.html |