"A lawyer in a Virginia Beach first-degree murder case has filed a motion for a new trial based on the unofficial board certification letter Lameira provided. Other attorneys are weighing whether and how to raise the issue — and in some murder trials, attorneys are asking judges to throw out evidence from autopsies Lameira performed."
Hey, all:
Back with another batch of links pertinent to your understanding of the justice system. But if you haven’t had the chance to read my story from a few weeks back on the 8 executions being reviewed by Virginia, give it a shot.
Also, maybe take some time to consider signing up for a paid subscription and sharing this post with some friends.
I’ll be back in a bit with another story touching on the commonwealth’s criminal justice system. In the meantime, if you’ve got tips, comments or anything else you’d like to share, feel free to reach out: cantor.dave@proton.me
Former corrections officer found guilty of attempting to smuggle over $1 million worth of narcotics (WRIC)
Virginia’s prisons have a dog problem (The Inquest)
Chesterfield family set to receive $2.7 million after family member died at prison (Richmond Times-Dispatch)
Campaign to enshrine voting rights in Virginia Constitution kicks off in Norfolk (Virginia Mercury)
After 24 years in prison, Suffolk man gets the call: He’ll get to vote for the first time (WAVY)
Norfolk becomes first in Hampton Roads to fund prosecutors for all jailable misdemeanors (WHRO)
Mid-year crime report gives mixed bag to Virginia cities (Radio IQ)
Spanberger restores rights to 66,000 (Richmond Times-Dispatch)
State watchdog prompts Red Onion officials to address ‘repeated lockdowns’ (WFXR)
613 days in solitary confinement, a $150,000 settlement: How one case helped change Virginia prison policy (The Virginian-Pilot)
Former scientist at Roanoke crime lab claims she was demoted for whistleblowing (The Roanoke Times)
A new law allows judges to seal criminal records, but the process is complex (The Virginian-Pilot)
From the archives: The old Virginia State Penitentiary (The Richmond Times-Dispatch)
A voting rights promise, betrayed for 156 years (Bolts Magazine)
Three states to execute inmates on the same day (The New York Times)
America’s crisis of “death by incarceration” (The Nation)
Florida executes 2 men in a day, including an octogenarian (The Associated Press)
Federal judges chastise Trump’s Justice Department for ‘unlawful,’ ‘unethical’ and ‘unseemly’ conduct (ProPublica)
A prison on fire (The Marshall Project)
Lebanon becomes first Arab country to abolish death penalty (Al-Monitor)
What if prison was not designed to punish? (The Marshall Project)
Death row inmates desperate to escape execution in Saudi Arabia call the BBC (BBC)
Imprisoned writer Mumia Abu-Jamal seeks UN intervention after 44 years behind bars (The Guardian)
The notorious Cameroonian prison with its own record label (BBC)
Amazing. Wonder how much more Stoney-era malfeasance there is to uncover.
"The announcement comes after an internal audit found officials under former Mayor Levar Stoney had awarded nearly $1.5 million to ineligible nonprofits, trashed documents in violation of state law and shown favoritism under the city’s nondepartmental grants program."
"The following narrative was shared with Inquest by Jaeon Chavis, an incarcerated victim of one of those many attacks in Virginia."
Here's the archive link.
About five years after abolishing the death penalty, Virginia named the eight men executed between 1986 and 1998 whose cases will be reviewed as part of a broader reassessment of former state forensic scientist Mary Jane Burton's work.
Another 199 hundred cases involving thousands of people will also be re-examined.
This reads like a press release, but there's a link to where to apply.
Among the recent accomplishments of Nate Smith — in addition to netting a pair of Grammy Awards — is his appointment as artistic director of the Newport Jazz Festival, an event in Rhode Island that since 1954 has served as an annual overview of the contemporary jazz scene.
The drummer’s in rarified company: Only festival founder George Wein and bassist Christian McBride have booked the show’s lineup. This July, Smith’s overseeing a bill that includes sets by Richmond’s Butcher Brown, as well as another performance by the group’s drummer, Corey Fonville.
Goin' for a fest. Gonna drop some dollars on LPs. Open to anything — my taste is pretty varied.
Familiar with the regulars: Terje, Arild, Jan, etc.
But lemme know what you're thinking?!
In 2022, the corrections department recorded 92 deaths; the medical examiner recorded 66; and the Department of Criminal Justice Services tallied 85.
The lack of clarity around those figures could affect how the state medical examiner addresses a mandate to conduct autopsies after each prison death — a directive the office hasn’t fulfilled since a 2024 law began requiring the procedure.
This long on numbers and short on specifics.
https://www.wvtf.org/news/2026-06-23/spanberger-creates-new-panel-in-effort-to-improve-state-prison-conditions
"He lived with chronic pain and deep loneliness, which he poured into boundary-pushing music that incorporated multicultural sounds."
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/19/obituaries/robbie-basho-overlooked.html
From the AG's press release: Attorney General Jay Jones will hold a press conference to announce the Office of the Attorney General’s next steps in implementing Virginia’s new industry accountability law HB21/ SB27. The event will highlight the OAG’s coordinated public safety partnerships and center the impact of this work on Virginia families and communities.
The Attorney General will be joined by legislative leaders, law enforcement partners, community violence prevention organizations, survivors, and national experts.
LIVE STREAM URL: https://www.youtube.com/live/o0OlohNqAJI
WHEN: Monday, June 22, 2026; 9:00 AM
WHY: Virginia has taken a significant step by enacting legislation to hold firearm industry members accountable for harmful practices. The Office of the Attorney General is prepared to implement the new legislation, using its enforcement authority, consumer protection tools, and public safety partnerships to protect Virginians and strengthen the rule of law.
"A court filing last week said a settlement had been reached between Martin and Joe Alexander, a former top creative at the firm who claimed he was the victim of a conspiracy to tarnish his reputation after he parted ways with Martin in late 2017 amid sexual harassment claims made against him within the company."
In the gov's public schedule for ... right now.
I feel like Svenonius is generally regarded as an intellectual. So, apart from him immediately saying he's not super familiar with SCG on this ep ... about SCG ... does he seem less eloquent than normal?
What's going on here?
