court | FFXnow - Part 22

Published October 31, 2023 at 11:45AM

The Fairfax County Courthouse (file photo)

A Fairfax County judge is weighing whether to throw out a lawsuit from environmental groups challenging Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s effort to remove Virginia from a regional carbon market.

Judge David Oblon heard oral arguments from Virginia Solicitor General Andrew Ferguson and Southern Environmental Law Center Senior Attorney Nate Benforado Friday morning in Fairfax Circuit Court. The hearing, which lasted about 30 minutes, concluded with the judge saying he would take the case under advisement before issuing a written decision.

News

Judge disqualifies Franconia District school board candidate over ballot paperwork

By Angela Woolsey

Published October 26, 2023 at 2:30PM | Updated October 30, 2023 at 11:09AM

Franconia District school board candidate Marcia St. John-Cunning (courtesy Marcia4Schools)

(Updated at 11:10 a.m. on 10/30/2023) The Democratic-endorsed candidate for the Fairfax County School Board’s Franconia District seat has been disqualified due to an error on her petition to get on the ballot.

The Fairfax County Office of Elections has posted a notice on its website informing voters that Marcia St. John-Cunning was disqualified yesterday (Wednesday) by a Fairfax County Circuit Court order. A judge ruled that her petition was invalid because of an error in her address on its front page.

News

BREAKING: Former FCPD officer indicted for fatally shooting Timothy Johnson

By Angela Woolsey

Published October 12, 2023 at 2:45PM | Updated October 12, 2023 at 5:09PM

The Fairfax County Courthouse (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

(Updated at 5 p.m.) A former Fairfax County police officer will face a court trial for shooting and killing Timothy Johnson outside Tysons Corner Center in February.

A grand jury indicted Wesley Shifflett today (Thursday) on felony charges of involuntary manslaughter and reckless discharge of a firearm, Fairfax County Commonwealth’s Attorney Steve Descano’s office announced.

News

Man who stabbed woman in Seven Corners, set body on fire convicted of murder

By Angela Woolsey

Published October 6, 2023 at 9:30AM | Updated October 6, 2023 at 11:36AM

Police are conducting a homicide investigation at The Villages at Falls Church (photo by Ed O'Carroll)

(Updated at 11:35 a.m.) An Arlington man could be sentenced to life in prison for fatally stabbing a woman and setting her body on fire in a Seven Corners condominium last year.

A Fairfax County Circuit Court jury has convicted 48-year-old Richard Montano of first-degree murder and arson for killing Silvia Vaca Abacay, whose body he subsequently attempted to burn, Fairfax County Commonwealth’s Attorney Steve Descano announced yesterday (Thursday).

News

Woman convicted again of killing mother and sister in McLean in 2017

By Angela Woolsey

Published September 25, 2023 at 9:30AM

Fairfax County Courthouse (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

A woman who shot and killed her mother and sister at their shared home in McLean six years ago has been convicted of murder for a second time.

A Fairfax County Circuit Court jury found Megan Hargan guilty of first-degree murder and using a firearm while committing a felony on Friday (Sept. 22) after a previous conviction got vacated due to juror misconduct.

Countywide

Fairfax County Courthouse nears launch of Virginia’s first self-help resource center

By Angela Woolsey

Published September 21, 2023 at 11:30AM

The Fairfax County Courthouse (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

The Fairfax County Courthouse will soon lend a helping hand to visitors intimidated by the prospect of navigating the legal system on their own.

The county’s new Self Help Resource Center will officially open at 4:30 p.m. on Oct. 5 with a kick-off event in the courthouse law library (4110 Chain Bridge Road, Room 115), the Fairfax Bar Association recently announced.

Countywide

Handling of public records emerges as top focus of Fairfax Circuit Court clerk race

By Matt Blitz

Published August 31, 2023 at 3:00PM

Fairfax County Circuit Court clerk candidates Gerarda Culipher and Chris Falcon (photos by Renata Grzan, Erin Nicole Brown Photography)

How public records should be handled will be a key issue in the race to replace retiring Fairfax County Circuit Court Clerk John Frey.

Democrat Chris Falcon and Republican Gerarda Culipher are both vying to fill the position that Frey will vacate when he retires in December. Frey, a Republican, has served as clerk of the county’s circuit court for the last 32 years. He ran for Virginia Attorney General in 2012.

News

Owners of McLean restaurant plead guilty to tax evasion, Covid relief theft

By Angela Woolsey

Published August 16, 2023 at 10:15AM

Gholam and Karen Kowkabi own Divan, a Persian restaurant in McLean (staff photo by David Taube)

A Vienna couple who own multiple restaurants in the D.C. area, including Divan in McLean, pleaded guilty in federal court earlier this week to evading over $1 million in taxes and stealing COVID-19 relief funds.

As part of the plea agreement, Gholam Kowkabi, 63, and Karen Kowkabi, 64, will give the IRS the $1.35 million that they failed to pay in taxes related to their D.C. restaurants Ristorante Piccolo, Catch 15 and Tuscana West, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for D.C. announced on Monday (Aug. 14).

News

Annandale man sentenced to life in prison for aiding and covering up gang murder

By Angela Woolsey

Published August 7, 2023 at 9:30AM

A judge's gavel on a table (via Wesley Tingey/Unsplash)

A 29-year-old man from Annandale will spend the rest of his life in federal prison after he was sentenced on Friday (Aug. 4) for participating in and helping cover up the murder of a fellow gang member.

Sentenced by U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis in Prince George’s County, Maryland, Jose Henry Hernandez-Garcia was convicted of racketeering, murder and conspiracy to destroy and conceal evidence on Dec. 16, 2022 after a two-week trial.

Countywide

Woman in Fairfax County jail on cash bond dies after medical emergency

By Angela Woolsey

Published August 3, 2023 at 9:30AM

The Fairfax County Adult Detention Center (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

Another person in custody at the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center has died.

Latasha Dove, a 53-year-old woman, was found unresponsive in her cell at the jail on Tuesday (Aug. 1) afternoon, the Fairfax County Police Department reported yesterday (Wednesday).