Criticism nixes juror-ID shield

Chris Graham

A committee of the Virginia Supreme Court has withdrawn a controversial proposal to make jurors anonymous in all state court criminal trials. The committee’s apparent turnabout comes as a result of strong criticism from open government advocates, who argued that allowing the public to know jurors’ identities is an essential part of a fair and…

David Lampo | Cuccinelli is no libertarian

AFP

Here’s a pop quiz: Who said the following: “When you look at the homosexual agenda, I cannot support something that I believe brings nothing but self-destruction, not only physically but of their soul.” A. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad B.Vladimir Putin C. Ken Cuccinelli Although most folks might guess it was Mr. Ahmadinejad, the Holocaust-denying president of Iran,…

AFP Focus | Shannon pushes crime-fighting credentials

Chris Graham

It’s hard for Steve Shannon to understand being criticized for saying that as Virginia attorney general he would make it his priority to fight crime, but it’s out there. “My focus is always on keeping people safe, and I don’t view that as a weakness. I view it as a great strength,” said Shannon, the…

Baker undergoes minor surgery

AFP

Calvin Baker, a senior guard on the Virginia’s men’s basketball team, had arthroscopic surgery on Tuesday to remove a loose piece of cartilage in his right knee. Baker is expected to be out two to three weeks. Baker has lettered twice for the Cavaliers since transferring from William and Mary. He averaged 8.4 points, 2.3…

Earth Talk | Butt, seriously

Roddy Scheer

Dear EarthTalk: Has anyone ever studied the environmental impact of discarded cigarettes? I’m constantly appalled at the number of drivers I see pitching their butts out their car windows? – Ned Jordan, via e-mail It’s true that littered cigarette butts are a public nuisance, and not just for aesthetic reasons. The filters on cigarettes—four fifths…

Two polls: McDonnell up 13 in Rasmussen, 18 in VCU

Chris Graham

A new Rasmussen Reports poll has Republican gubernatorial nominee Bob McDonnell leading Democrat Creigh Deeds by a 54 percent-to-41 percent margin, and a new Virginia Commonwealth University Commonwealth Poll has McDonnell leading by a 54 percent-to-36 percent gap. Both polls, released on Wednesday, make clear that the strategy of the Deeds campaign to hinge its…

Chris Graham | Winners and Losers: Obama, Deeds, Zorn, World Series, McDonnell

Chris Graham

PUSH: Barack Obama campaigns for Creigh Deeds My inclination is to say that Obama ends up losing on this one. I’m surprised he even followed through, to be honest. Not only because Deeds distanced himself from the Obama campaign back in the summer, but because of the obvious – the stink of this campaign is…