Law & Crime

While they sat separately but alongside their defense teams, former Governor Bob McDonnell and his wife, Maureen, seemed to have a much calmer demeanor than some of other court appearances associated with their upcoming federal corruption trial.  Their defense has been dealt several blows, but their latest pretrial hearing sought to discredit the prosecution’s tactics and star witness.
 

Henrico Delegate Joe Morrissey says he will not resign his seat in the General Assembly following this week’s indictment that stems from his relationship with a teenager.  He made the statement after a fellow Democrat, Delegate Mark Keam, had called on Morrissey to step down. 

Police routinely use certain techniques to get confessions from suspects, but a new study from the University of Virginia suggests those tactics should not be used with juveniles.  Because their brains are not fully developed, social scientists say they will respond differently than adults and confess to crimes they didn’t commit. 

Governor McAuliffe marked the 60th anniversary of the landmark Supreme Court decision, Brown versus Board of Education, with a visit to a Richmond high school.

African-American students from Virginia had joined that case in the 1950s after walking out of their racially segregated school in protest of its dilapidated conditions and inferior curriculum.

The governor provided a brief civics lesson—tying issues six decades ago to issues today.

The U.S. Attorney for the Western Division of Virginia announced the indictment of nine people today. 

Four are charged with the murder of Waynesboro police officer Kevin Quick.   All but one are accused of other crimes committed as members of the Bloods street gang.