Filing suit anonymously, John Doe 122 sued Chaminade College Preparatory and the Marianist Province of the United States for clergy abuse. The key issue in the case was whether the school knew that a counselor had abused other students and disregarded that knowledge when it failed to protect Doe from abuse. Doe offered the testimony […]

A group of Virginia taxpayers brought a legal action challenging the tax assessments of their property by the County of Northampton and the Town of Cape Charles. The taxpayers relied on expert witnesses to prove that the assessors overvalued their property. The trial court excluded the expert opinions on the ground that the taxpayers failed […]

An Alaska couple has lost their medical malpractice case against a doctor that they claimed caused the wife’s seizure for failure to support the claim with sufficient expert witness testimony. The Incident On February 6, 2016, William Beistline brought his wife Marcie to the Fairbanks Memorial Hospital emergency room.  She was seen by Dr. Bruce […]

The American jury trial system is adversarial. The plaintiff presents evidence to prove entitlement to legal relief. The defense challenges that evidence and has the option to present evidence of its own to persuade the jury that relief should not be awarded. Between the two adversaries sits a neutral judge. The role of the judge, […]

Thomas Lee Johnson was convicted of first-degree murder. Weeks after a woman was stabbed to death in her home, Johnson told his ex-wife that he had rented a car, driven to the woman’s home, carried a stun gun into the residence, and confronted the woman. Johnson told his former wife that the woman armed herself […]

Camille Sedar parked her car on the ground level of a parking garage at Reston Town Center, where she planned to have lunch with friends. Reston Town Center is a mixed-use development in Reston, Virginia. Patrons who park in the garage must climb up a short flight of stairs before crossing a brick-paved landing and […]