A few weeks back, I did a post on a day in the life of an appellate lawyer. I was delighted to find a (somewhat more restrained) companion piece in Leesburg Today, which ran a Q&A with Justice Mims last Friday.
Justice Mims answered a number of questions, including “Describe a typical day
After more than 40 years on the bench and service at every level of the Virginia judiciary, Justice Koontz has run up against the mandatory retirement age. Earlier this week, he took the time to speak about his career with his former clerk (and my current partner) Monica Monday at a meeting of the Ted
My dad retires this month after 32 years of public service as a tax lawyer for the State of New York. I still have no idea what he does on a daily basis. I understand that it involves numbers.
My brother, Patrick, also works with numbers. They must be different numbers, because he doesn’t know
Ever wonder what would happen if you named the wrong party in your notice of appeal? Thanks to the Supreme Court of Virginia’s February decision in Ghameshlouy v. Commonwealth, we now have the definitive answer:
It depends.
Our story begins when the Virginia Beach police respond to a call about a domestic altercation at a hotel. They question our hero, Eric Amir Ghameshlouy (spellings vary throughout the record), who gives “evasive and conflicting answers” about his name and age. [Note to self: when lying to police, give consistent and responsive answers.]
The police arrest Ghameshlouy and charge him with violating a local ordinance that makes it a misdemeanor to provide false identifying information.
The police also conduct a search incident to the arrest, and find a bag of white powder.
I know what you’re thinking: iocaine powder–odorless, tasteless, dissolves instantly in liquid and among the more deadly poisons known to man?
No, turns out it was just run-of-the-mill yayo. That earned Ghameshlouy a felony indictment under state law, in addition to his misdemeanor charge under local law.Continue Reading Ghameshlouy v. Commonwealth: What Happens if You Name the Wrong Party in Your Notice of Appeal?