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Here’s a recap of the top stories on the morning of June 13, 2023:
Appeals panel rules Loudoun judge violated woman's civil liberties
Reported by VPM News’ Ben Paviour
Last Tuesday, a three-judge panel on the Virginia Court of Appeals ruled Loudoun County Circuit Court Judge James Fisher violated Katie Orndoff’s key civil liberties when he handed her a 10-day jail sentence in 2021 and ordered her tested for drugs after Orndoff admitted to having smoked marijuana earlier in the day.
Orndoff was in court to testify against her ex-boyfriend in a felony assault case when Fisher accused her of being intoxicated. Fisher had called a recess, seemingly frustrated at Orndoff's continued offhand mentions of Phillips’ previous criminal record in her answers to questions — despite his warnings to avoid that topic.
After being pressed, Orndoff said she had smoked marijuana earlier in the day, leading Fisher to hold her in contempt. The appeals panel found Fisher erred by holding Orndoff in contempt for actions that took place outside the courtroom.
American Civil War Museum hosts pop-up exhibition about Black soldiers
Photographed by Ryan M. Kelly for VPM News
More than 185,000 Black men served in the United States Colored Troops during the Civil War, about 10% of soldiers in the Union Army. The American Civil War Museum's new exhibit, Beyond Valor, chronicles those troops.
Many artifacts come from regiments involved in the 1865 Battle of Fork Road, which ended in the fall of the Confederacy's final major seaport in Wilmington, North Carolina. Others are typical of what USCT soldiers carried.
In other news:
- After FBI document shows preference for HQ relocation in Virginia, Md. officials blast off (Virginia Mercury)
In case you missed it:
- On the books: New employment laws take effect July 1 (Virginia Lawyers Weekly)
- [Charlottesville] City Council Voter Guide (Charlottesville Tomorrow)