Oral Arguments of the Supreme Court of Virginia Ben Glass

In a groundbreaking decision, the Virginia Supreme Court reinstated a high-profile lawsuit, thrusting into the spotlight a pivotal battle over a teacher's fundamental rights. Peter Vlaming, a dedicated French teacher with nearly seven years of service, found himself at the center of a controversial firestorm. 

Represented by the powerhouse legal team from Alliance Defending Freedom, Vlaming's case challenges the very core of Virginia law.

The West Point School Board's decision to terminate Vlaming sent shockwaves through the community. At the heart of this contentious saga is Vlaming's staunch refusal to use personal pronouns for a student that contradicted the student's biological sex, a decision he defended as a matter of conscience. Despite his efforts to respect the student by using their chosen name and skillfully avoiding pronoun usage, school authorities imposed a stringent directive. They demanded he adhere to the superintendent's order to use pronouns aligning with the student's gender identity, not their sex, sparking a fierce debate over rights, respect, and personal beliefs.

This is the oral argument before the Supreme Court of Virginia in that case.


This podcast is brought to you by Virginia Injury and Disability law firm, Ben Glass Law.

Real legal help for real people
Your life has been disrupted. You have good doctors and they support you. Your personal injury or long-term disability claim seems like a slam dunk. But there’s a problem: The insurance company doesn’t believe you. “You can’t be hurt that bad! Our medical experts say you’re fine.”
You need a trusted advocate who can uncover all the facts, tell your story to the skeptical insurance company, and get you the money you deserve. You don’t have to do this alone. Contact our Virginia personal injury and long-term disability lawyers today for a free consultation or denial letter review.
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What if the car parked for months in your neighborhood could spark a riveting legal battle? Well, brace yourself as we journey through the intricate case of Bryant McCants versus CDMPB Enterprises LLC in our latest podcast episode. We dissect the multifaceted arguments surrounding the controversial conversion of an abandoned Mustang vehicle, unmasking potential missteps in the court of appeals' analysis. From the intricate layers of the Mako franchisee company's ownership to the evidence that underpinned the jury's verdict, we leave no stone unturned. 

Are you ready to question everything you know about abandoned vehicles and liability? Buckle up, because in the second half, we ignite an intriguing conversation on how agency law and jury instructions shape the determination of liability, especially when a vehicle is claimed to be abandoned. We shine a spotlight on the defendant's actions versus the company’s role, putting the concept of possession under the microscope. We round off with a fiery debate about the interpretation of the abandoned vehicle statute. Is it too aggressive? Does consent need to be communicated? Prepare to have your perspective broadened and your legal curiosity piqued. Tune in, and let's navigate these captivating legal mazes together!
This podcast is brought to you by Virginia Injury and Disability law firm, Ben Glass Law.

Real legal help for real people
Your life has been disrupted. You have good doctors and they support you. Your personal injury or long-term disability claim seems like a slam dunk. But there’s a problem: The insurance company doesn’t believe you. “You can’t be hurt that bad! Our medical experts say you’re fine.”
You need a trusted advocate who can uncover all the facts, tell your story to the skeptical insurance company, and get you the money you deserve. You don’t have to do this alone. Contact our Virginia personal injury and long-term disability lawyers today for a free consultation or denial letter review.
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Are you ready to unlock the mysteries surrounding revocation proceedings and the concept of affirmative election? This episode promises to arm you with legal insights and court interpretations drawn from the case of Commonwealth of Virginia v. DeLon. We dissect whether the violation conduct that occurred prior to the effective date of the statute should apply and if the preparation of sentencing guidelines qualifies as an affirmative election. You'll discover a fascinating twist: a failure to object does not necessarily amount to consent - an eye-opener in itself.

Join us as we chart through the ambiguities of statutory interpretation, especially in probation violation cases. We spotlight the case of Emily DeLon, accused of violating a special condition of remaining drug-free while on probation. We delve into the Court of Appeals' decision and subject matter jurisdiction to the special condition. We debate the intricate power and discretion of trial courts in imposing special conditions and probe the grey area where technical violations are masked as special conditions to sidestep limitations.

Get ready for a fiery debate with our lawyer guest who challenges our interpretation of a conversation between a trial court judge and a prosecutor, contesting the presence of consent for retroactive sentencing. We extend our discussion to the prosecutor's role in determining the punishment scheme and the fine line that separates special conditions from technical violations. You'll gain insights into how courts use their discretion within legislative limitations. This episode is not just a podcast, it is a journey into the heart of litigation, an invaluable resource for those intrigued by the nuances of technical violations and the prosecutor's pivotal role in punishment schemes.
This podcast is brought to you by Virginia Injury and Disability law firm, Ben Glass Law.

Real legal help for real people
Your life has been disrupted. You have good doctors and they support you. Your personal injury or long-term disability claim seems like a slam dunk. But there’s a problem: The insurance company doesn’t believe you. “You can’t be hurt that bad! Our medical experts say you’re fine.”
You need a trusted advocate who can uncover all the facts, tell your story to the skeptical insurance company, and get you the money you deserve. You don’t have to do this alone. Contact our Virginia personal injury and long-term disability lawyers today for a free consultation or denial letter review.
Get a free consultation

Imagine being a part of an intense courtroom drama. Today, you'll be stepping into the shoes of legal giants, as we explore the intriguing case of Swinson v. Commonwealth. Our conversation zooms in on the concept of harmless error in criminal cases, and the ripple effect it may have on the jury verdict. Often, it's the weight of the evidence and the impact of jury instructions that shape the final outcome. Let's take a journey into the heart of this legal spectacle.

We'll also take you behind the scenes of a captivating dialogue between Zagorski and Stalard. They represent the defense and Commonwealth respectively, and their insights on jury instruction in a case involving drug distribution are nothing short of enlightening. Together, we'll probe into the differences between the Commonwealth’s and defense's approach, the role of the seemingly harmless error, and how something as simple as the presence or absence of a pager can contribute to the case’s narrative.

As we draw the curtains on this episode, let's delve into the heart of jury instructions and the careful consideration behind them. From the relevance of expert testimony to the debate on retiring certain factors due to modernization, our discussion leaves no stone unturned. We cast a spotlight on the fact finder's role in weighing these factors, and the potential harm of excluding relevant information from the instructions. Tune in as we dissect this grand courtroom drama and reveal the intricacies of the justice system. It's an episode you won't want to miss! 

P.S Don't forget to check out other podcasts by Ben Glass - The Court of Appeals of Virginia podcast and the Renegade Lawyer podcast. It's a law enthusiast’s paradise!
This podcast is brought to you by Virginia Injury and Disability law firm, Ben Glass Law.

Real legal help for real people
Your life has been disrupted. You have good doctors and they support you. Your personal injury or long-term disability claim seems like a slam dunk. But there’s a problem: The insurance company doesn’t believe you. “You can’t be hurt that bad! Our medical experts say you’re fine.”
You need a trusted advocate who can uncover all the facts, tell your story to the skeptical insurance company, and get you the money you deserve. You don’t have to do this alone. Contact our Virginia personal injury and long-term disability lawyers today for a free consultation or denial letter review.
Get a free consultation

Have you ever wondered how a criminal case unravels, particularly when it comes to identification evidence? Step into the corridors of justice as we dissect the fascinating case of Sample v. Commonwealth of Virginia, where the spotlight is on the process of victim identification. We prod the underbelly of the judicial system, scrutinizing the identification procedure in question and how certainty, influence, and courage all play pivotal roles in the ultimate verdict.

The conversation doesn't stop there. We dive deeper into the murky waters of criminal investigations and how law enforcement procedures can potentially sway a victim’s identification. Unraveling a case where a seemingly innocuous comment by an officer could have tilted the scales of justice. We pull back the curtain on the role race can play in the identification process and the magnitude of its impact on the eventual verdict. Arm yourself with insights into the delicate intricacies of law enforcement, race, and identification.

As we reach the climax of our discourse, we turn our gaze to the larger components of a criminal case. We explore the court of appeals' dissection of the five-factors from the Bigger decision, the sufficiency of evidence, and the potential for overturning precedent cases imposing an unjust burden of analysis. The debate on the integration of trial evidence into a pre-trial motion to suppress will keep you on your toes as we cite from past cases. Engage with us in this stimulating journey through the labyrinth that is the justice system, as we dissect, discuss, and evaluate. Don’t miss this riveting exploration of the role of identification evidence in criminal cases.
This podcast is brought to you by Virginia Injury and Disability law firm, Ben Glass Law.

Real legal help for real people
Your life has been disrupted. You have good doctors and they support you. Your personal injury or long-term disability claim seems like a slam dunk. But there’s a problem: The insurance company doesn’t believe you. “You can’t be hurt that bad! Our medical experts say you’re fine.”
You need a trusted advocate who can uncover all the facts, tell your story to the skeptical insurance company, and get you the money you deserve. You don’t have to do this alone. Contact our Virginia personal injury and long-term disability lawyers today for a free consultation or denial letter review.
Get a free consultation

Ever wondered how the concept of alibi defense can shape the outcome of a sexual abuse case? Prepare to go on an intellectual journey as the attorneys and court  dissect a case where the defense claims a broad timeframe of charges doesn’t sync with the evidence. The argument reaches to  the meaning of alibi, its spatial aspect, and how to categorize the evidence—is it alibi or impeachment? 



What obligation did the defendant have to provide a notice of alibi? Could trial counsel have submitted a notice of alibi, given that the record evidence fails to establish the time and place of the offense?Was it an abuse of discretion to keep evidence from the jury, and if such an action stemmed from intentional violation or honest oversight?


This podcast is brought to you by Virginia Injury and Disability law firm, Ben Glass Law.

Real legal help for real people
Your life has been disrupted. You have good doctors and they support you. Your personal injury or long-term disability claim seems like a slam dunk. But there’s a problem: The insurance company doesn’t believe you. “You can’t be hurt that bad! Our medical experts say you’re fine.”
You need a trusted advocate who can uncover all the facts, tell your story to the skeptical insurance company, and get you the money you deserve. You don’t have to do this alone. Contact our Virginia personal injury and long-term disability lawyers today for a free consultation or denial letter review.
Get a free consultation