I launched a new website this morning that’s worth mentioning here: Virginia Decoded. It’s like Richmond Sunlight, but instead of making it easier to understand legislation, it makes it easier to understand all of the laws of Virginia. To see how this is an improvement, compare § 2.2-3705.1 on the official state website to the same section on Virginia Decoded. Note that glossary terms are underlined, with pop-up definitions, the listing of legislation and cross-references in the sidebar, and the general lack of horribleness. The site also incorporates relevant court decisions and a handful of other niceties. I hope you find it as useful as I have!
News and meta-news about Charlottesville, VA, since 2001.
Archive for the 'Law and Justice' Category
George Huguely has been convicted of murdering Yeardley Love, every media outlet on the planet reports. After only a day’s deliberation, the jury convicted the former UVA student of second-degree murder for his role in the 2010 death of his girlfriend and fellow UVA lacrosse player. It became clear over the course of the two-week trial that a conviction was likely, but as unflattering portraits of both the accused and the victim emerged, with UVA’s culture of functional student alcoholism front and center, the speculation boiled down to whether Huguely would be convicted of first-degree murder, or second-degree murder. Huguely’s legal team presented alternate theories about the cause of Love’s death—without seriously challenging the notion that Huguely beat her terribly—including that she was smothered by passing out on a pillow soaked in her own blood and that she fatally combined alcohol and her ADD medication, presumably to create doubt in the minds of jurors that Huguely’s actions were the sole cause of Love’s death. The case captured the attention of national media, with dozens of journalists and their crews camping out at the courthouse for the trial.
Next up: Sentencing. Huguely is facing the possibility of life in prison.
10:50 PM Update: He’s been sentenced to 26 years in prison.
One-time Democratic City Council Candidate James Halfaday has been indicted for election fraud, the Daily Progress reports. In his candidacy filing he claimed to live in the city when, in fact, he lived in the county. He also claimed to be the co-owner of a local gym, but had nothing to do with it. Halfaday claims to be a 32-year-old, openly gay American Indian from Dumferline, Illinois, but at this point, it’s possible that none of that is true. It’s expected that he’ll plead guilty at his court date in a couple of weeks. Assuming that it’s § 24.2-1016 he’s been charged under, then he’s facing a year in prison or a fine of $2,500.
The city is doing its best to accomodate the 35 media outlets covering George Huguely’s murder trial, Ted Strong writes in the Progress. Nearly two hundred people will descend on the town for the two-week trial, which starts tomorrow. CBS-19′s Bailey Disselkoen reports that satellite trucks are already lined up near the court house, and Fourth Street will be closed for the duration so that the 15–19 plus-sized vehicles will have a place to park. The mechanics of having so many reporters in a small place present some real obstacles, but the city, the sheriff’s office, and the court are all trying to deal with those problems.
The seventeen Occupy Charlottesville members who refused to leave Lee Park hav been convicted of trespassing, Samantha Koon writes for the Daily Progress. The park closes after 11 PM, and though allowed to remain for weeks, their permit was finally non-renewed. Some protesters refused to leave, and were arrested. They were fined $100 apiece, which can be paid outright or covered via community service. The group member who stripped off her clothes and read a statement of protest during the arrests had the charges of indecent exposure against her dropped, with Judge Robert Downer finding that it was a non-sexual political statement and therefore protected expression.
Sideblog
UVA graduation is this weekend (May 20th). Consider yourself warned. #
Theodore Roosevelt’s Albemarle retreat, Pine Knot, is looking to become more well known and accessible. #
Tablet computers are working out pretty well in city schools. #
VDOT got seven bids for the Western Bypass, but they’re secret until one is selected in June. #
One small car part is the sole evidence of who killed a Waynesboro woman in a hit-and-run on Saturday. The community at Jalopnik figured it out—it’s from the grille of a 2003 Ford F150 XL. #
Does the city have the power to set the speed on the bypass so ridiculously low? Several people argue that it does not. #
Council has again shot down the police department’s request for funding to put CCTV security cameras all along the Downtown Mall. #
A little light reading: Charlottesville’s charter. These are the rules, set by the legislature, under which C’ville exists. #
The plan for Shoppers World has been made public. Stein Mart and DSW will moving in to the complex recently vacated by Whole Foods. #
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Archive for Sideblog »
Charlottesville Blogs
- Battle of the noodle: Allied heats up recycling rhetoric against Van der Linde Dave McNair
- People watching pick: Baggby’s Dave McNair
- Canterbury meets Katie Couric at UVA graduation The Rev. James Richardson
- I Want to Live in Upperville Brendan Wolfe
- Could a Mid-Week Farmers’ Market Work in Crozet? Jim
- Virginia’s General Assembly and the New Voter Identification Law Walker Richmond
- Graduation blessings The Rev. James Richardson
- “However, some things must be said, and there are times when silence becomes an accomplice to injustice.” jmrlblog
- Baggby’s – still my favorite “cool” view of the Charlottesville Downtown Mall (2012) RuthK
- This Day (L’édition paranoïaque) Brendan Wolfe
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