Livesay & Myers Lawyers in the News.
 2-17-12. Lead defense lawyer Ghislaine Storr Burks represented a man facing up to 100 years in prison on sex crimes charges at a sentencing hearing in Stafford County, as detailed by a Free Lance-Star article. After previously pleading guilty to 11 charges, Ms. Burks' client was ordered to serve 10 years in prison.
1-19-12. Attorney Ghislaine Storr Burks was officially named a Partner at Livesay & Myers, P.C., just 5 years after joining the firm as an associate attorney in January 2007. With her tireless efforts on behalf of her clients, record of success in defending clients in courts across Northern Virginia, and extensive knowledge of the criminal justice system, Ms. Storr Burks is a priceless asset to the firm.
1-13-12. The Supreme Court of Virginia issued a published opinion in the appeal by attorney Ghislaine Storr Burks of a case involving a North Carolina bail bondsman convicted of Attempted Abduction and Use of a Firearm in the Commission of a Felony in Virginia. Note: less than two percent of cases filed with the Virginia Supreme Court result in the petition for appeal being granted.
12-22-11. Attorney Ghislaine Storr Burks represented a former substitute teacher on sex crimes charges in a high-profile case in King George County, as detailed by a Free Lance-Star article. Facing up to fourteen years and five months in prison per sentencing guidelines on charges of indecent liberties, carnal knowledge, non-forcible sodomy and electronic solicitation, Ms. Burks' client was ordered to serve five years* pursuant to a plea agreement.
*[The Free Lance-Star article incorrectly states the active sentence as seven years.]
12-13-11. Attorney Ghislaine Storr Burks represented a former volunteer firefighter on sex crimes charges in a high-profile case in Spotsylvania County, as detailed by a Free Lance-Star article. Facing up to fifteen years in prison on charges of carnal knowledge and electronic solicitation of sex with a minor, Ms. Burks' client was ordered to serve four years pursuant to a plea agreement.
 9-10-11. Criminal defense lawyer Robert May defended a man charged with striking a deputy's police cruiser on Interstate 95 in Stafford County, as detailed by a Free Lance-Star article. While the man was convicted of several lesser offenses, Mr. May won a jury acquittal on the most serious charge, attempted murder. The jury also found Mr. May's client not guilty of assault and battery on a police officer.
 7-8-11. Immigration lawyer Jennifer Varughese spoke at a Virginia Continuing Legal Education seminar hosted by George Mason School of Law, entitled "Immigration Consequences of Criminal Convictions." She discussed her case, Commonwealth v. Morris, 281 Va. 70 (Va. 2011), and how it relates to the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Padilla v. Kentucky.
1-28-11. Immigration lawyer Jennifer Varughese was named the Pro Bono Lawyer of the Year (2010) in Fairfax County by the Fairfax Bar Association. She will be honored with the award at the February Membership Luncheon of the Fairfax Bar.
12-29-10. Immigration lawyer Jennifer Varughese was mentioned in a Washington Post article. Ms. Varughese is one of the leading attorneys in a raging legal battle involving the immigration consequences of criminal convictions in Virginia. As detailed by the Post, Ms. Varughese represents a lawful permanent resident who pled guilty in 1997 to petty larceny, after being told by a public defender that the guilty plea would not affect his immigration status, only to find himself facing deportation for that guilty plea in 2008. In 2009, Ms. Varughese convinced a Circuit Court Judge to modify her client's sentence to allow him to avoid deportation. Ms. Varughese now represents the man before the Virginia Supreme Court in the appeal by the government of that decision. Updated 2-8-11: Following the government's successful appeal of that decision before the Virginia Supreme Court in early 2011, the case was appealed to the Supreme Court of the United States. This high profile case could set legal precedent for decades to come regarding the immigration consequences of criminal convictions in Virginia.
10-9-10. Lead criminal defense lawyer Ghislaine Storr Burks won an acquittal in a two-day sexual assault trial in Stafford County of a man accused of sexually assaulting his former live-in girlfriend's daughter. After Ms. Burks mounted an aggressive defense which called into serious question the credibility of the government's case, the jury found the defendant not guilty of four charges, including aggravated sexual battery and indecent liberties. The Judge dismissed a fifth charge prior to it reaching the jury.
4-14-10. The Virginia Court of Appeals has granted the petition of Livesay & Myers, P.C. criminal defense attorney Ghislaine Storr Burks for review of two important legal issues, in the case of a North Carolina bail bondsman convicted of Attempted Abduction and Use of a Firearm in the Commission of a Felony in Virginia. The Court ruling in this high profile case could set legal precedent for decades to come regarding the authority of an out-of-state bail bondsman operating in Virginia.
6-4-09. A trial for a man represented by Livesay & Myers criminal defense attorney Ghislaine Storr Burks was continued until October 2009 when too many potential jurors failed to show up.
4-15-08. Criminal defense attorney Ghislaine Storr Burks represented a woman in Lynchburg, Virginia who had been convicted (with a different attorney) in 2006 for manslaughter in the death of her husband. Ms. Storr Burks represented the woman in a hearing to determine when her jail sentence should begin.
9-22-07. Criminal defense lawyer Ghislaine Storr Burks represented a man accused of spitting on a deputy and urinating in a police cruiser following a hit-and-run incident in Stafford County.
Livesay & Myers Partner Gains Peer Recognition.
5-8-06. Partner James Livesay received the prestigious BV® Peer Review Rating* from Martindale-Hubbell. The BV rating is the maximum rating a lawyer can receive who has been admitted to the bar from 5-9 years. [*CV, BV and AV are registered certification marks of Reed Elsevier Properties Inc., used in accordance with the Martindale-Hubbell certification procedures, standards and policies.]
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