By Pablo Grijalva On April 22, 1970, 20 million Americans protested for environmental reforms[1]. About eight months later, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was established, a new era of protecting land and waterways that the public can benefit from and enjoy.  Now in 2021, Greenhouse Gas Emissions are at their highest recorded levels[2], and we continue to see a rise in extreme weather events[3] causing … Continue reading Recent SCOTUS decision may open-or close- the door for State Tort Climate Claims

By: Teresa Sun One of the clients at the Warrenton Public Defenders, Mr. M, a big guy in his 50s, broke into tears when his attorney explained to him that per the most recent legislative change, he may not have to go back to jail for his most recent probation violation. Mr. M served one-year in prison for a drug possession charge, still had two-and-a-half … Continue reading Virginia’s Probation Reform: First Step

By: Callie Keen For many years, meetings of local and state public bodies – from school boards to city councils to state legislatures – have been hallmarked by engagement with interested citizens.[1] At these meetings, members of the public can closely watch the proceedings and offer their perspectives on proposals and community problems.[2] However, as COVID-19 swept through the United States, public bodies could no … Continue reading Governance on Zoom: Electronic Meetings and Public Participation during COVID-19

By: Jenny HernandezAustria You look outside your window and see your neighbor acting strange. He is out on the street walking erratically and is taking his shirt off. You look closely and realize his eyes are glassy and he appears unaware of his surroundings. You are concerned for him, but do not want to approach him due to his erratic behavior. Clearly there is something … Continue reading The Future of the New Safe Harbor Statute in Virginia

By: Carley Ruival Testifying in court as a victim of a crime can be traumatic. The propensity for trauma arguably increases when the victim is a young child and the alleged crime involves sexual abuse. The tender years hearsay exception is an effective mechanism in reducing trauma to child victims of sexual abuse because it limits the extent to which the victim is subject to … Continue reading The importance of the tender years hearsay exception in cases of sexual abuse

By: Tiffany Ngo The Virginia Employment Commission (“VEC”) was established to provide compensation and benefits to unemployed Virginians in their time of need. Since its establishment, the VEC had been a saving grace to many Virginians, until 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic hit. Not only did COVID-19 affect Americans hard, the Virginia-governed VEC was the hardest hit1. What was established for Virginians, was no longer … Continue reading COVID-19 and the Historic Failure of the Virginia Employment Commission

By: Owen Giordano In Virginia, drug courts are defined by the court system as “specialized court dockets within the existing structure of Virginia’s court system offering judicial monitoring of intensive treatment and strict supervision of addicts in drug and drug-related cases.”[1] Given the below-described statistics and the nature of drug usage in Virginia, it is apparent that drug courts can provide a low cost means … Continue reading Breaking the Habit: Analyzing the Effectiveness of Drug Court in Virginia

By: Samantha Callejas On April 14, 2021, President Joe Biden announced plans for a complete withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan with a deadline of September 11, 2021.[1] Since then, President Biden has stated that the U.S. is set to complete this task by August 31st, 2021.[2] With news of thousands swarming the capital Kabul’s airport, and the Taliban’s increasing presence, it is safe to … Continue reading Changing Relations: What U.S. troops withdrawal means for the Afghan people