A lot of people are wondering about the legality of Gov. Northam’s executive order requiring face coverings in public places that took effect on May 29, 2020. This post is not intended to stir the political pot. We just want to give you the straight facts. What authority does he have to issue the order? Gov. Northam has invoked his authority under: (1) Va. Code Section 44-146.17; and (2) Article V of the Constitution of Virginia. Va. Code § 44-146.17 says he can take action on things “relating to the safety and welfare of the Commonwealth in time of disasters.” These powers are fairly broad. Using "his judgment", he can make relevant rules and regulations about the use, sale, production, and

Virginia Beach, VA – After receiving awards proclaiming him a "Super Lawyer," "CoVa Biz 2020 Top Lawyer," and "Top 40 Under 40," local attorney Bassel Khalaf has declared himself "Supreme Lawyer King Extreme Deluxe" and announced the reopening of the courts as the first day of a new calendar year called "Year 37 After Birth Of Khalaf." "The lawyer awards have spoken," Khalaf said. "By recognizing me as the king of kings among attorneys, I have no choice but to humbly assume the wheel of the criminal justice system and steer us all to a glorious future." Dressed in full regalia displaying his lawyer awards and flanked by members of his elite Super Lawyer Guard, Khalaf told his subjects, "Let

Westendorf & Khalaf, PLLC is pleased to announce the addition of Jabba the Hut as a new associate attorney. In this position, Jabba will be involved in assisting the firm’s growing areas of defense practice, including cases involving human enslavement, spice trafficking, gambling, illegal pod racing, and Jawa property disputes. Jabba received his Juris Doctor from Regent Law School and recently passed the Virginia Bar Exam. Jabba was born and raised on Tatooine and was a member of the Grand Hutt Council prior to practicing law. He was feared dead after an incident on his sail barge at the Great Pit of Carkoon. Taite Westendorf, one of the partners of Westendorf & Khalaf, said, “We are t

Even in our current era of intense polarization, the video of Ahmuad Arbery being pursued, shot, and killed by father and son Gregory and Travis McMichael united most of the country over the past week. Donald Trump called the footage “very, very disturbing” while Joe Biden described Arbery as “being lynched before our very eyes.” Although Arbery was killed all the way back in February, it was only after the video went viral that the McMichaels were arrested following widespread outrage. In a bizarre twist to the story, the New York Times reported that the person who leaked the video to the media “turned out to be a criminal defense lawyer in town who had informally consulted with the suspect

In October 2017, actress Alyssa Milano unleashed a cultural tsunami when she tweeted an invitation for women across the world to share their stories of sexual harassment and assault. Tens of millions of tweets later, the #MeToo movement has had an impact at all levels of society, and signaled a huge shift in the past attitudes surrounding sexual assault and responsibility. To say that the impact of #MeToo has been complicated would be an understatement. In some high profile cases such as Harvey Weinstein and Bill Cosby, accusations were vetted in the criminal justice system. There was discovery, testimony from the accused, cross-examination, and defense evidence that resulted in findings of