Local

Judge refuses to dismiss charges in Wone case

Published

16 years ago

January 20, 2010

A D.C. Superior Court judge has denied a motion to dismiss conspiracy and obstruction of justice charges against three gay men implicated in the 2006 stabbing death of Washington attorney Robert Wone.

Judge Lynn Leibovitz, who took over the case from Judge Frederick Weisberg earlier this month, called the defense motion to dismiss the two charges “meritless” in her Jan. 15 decision.

Defendants Joseph Price, Victor Zaborsky and Dylan Ward did not seek dismissal of the third charge against them: evidence tampering. But attorneys for the men have said their clients are innocent of all charges. They have said since the men were indicted nearly two years ago that an unidentified intruder killed Wone after entering their house while they were asleep. Authorities have yet to charge anyone with the murder itself.

Members of Wone’s family, including his wife, have said Wone was spending the night at the Dupont Circle home of the three men after working late at his downtown office. The family members have said that Wone, who was straight, was friends with the three men.

Police and prosecutors have released a detailed affidavit alleging that the three men tampered extensively with the crime scene and conspired to mislead police and obstruct the police investigation into the murder. The affidavit says crime scene evidence shows that Wone was sexually assaulted after being immobilized with a paralytic drug before being stabbed three times in a guest bedroom in the men’s home on Swann Street, N.W.

Leibovitz set a March 12 status hearing for the case. A trial is scheduled to begin May 10.

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Virginia

VIDEO: LGBTQ groups march in Va. inaugural parade

Abigail Spanberger took office on Saturday

Published

16 hours ago

January 17, 2026

Michael Key

Diversity Richmond and the Virginia Pride project of Diversity Richmond march in the 2026 Inauguration Parade on the grounds of the state capitol in Richmond, Va. (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)

The inaugural ceremonies for Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger were held in Richmond, Va. on Saturday. Among the groups marching in the parade were Diversity Richmond and the Virginia Pride project of Diversity Richmond.

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*The LGBTQ contingent in the inaugural parade in Richmond, Va. pass by the review stand on Jan. 17, 2026. (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)*

Virginia

Va. Senate approves referendum to repeal marriage amendment

Outgoing state Sen. Adam Ebbin introduced SJ3

Published

1 day ago

January 17, 2026

Staff reports

(Bigstock photo)

The Virginia Senate on Friday by a 26-13 vote margin approved a resolution that seeks to repeal a state constitutional amendment that defines marriage as between a man and a woman.

Outgoing state Sen. Adam Ebbin (D-Alexandria) introduced SJ3. The Senate Privileges and Elections Committee on Wednesday approved it by a 10-4 vote margin.

Same-sex couples have been able to legally marry in Virginia since 2014. Outgoing Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin in 2024 signed a bill that codified marriage equality in state law.

A resolution that seeks to repeal the Marshall-Newman Amendment passed in the General Assembly in 2021. The resolution passed again in 2025.

Two successive legislatures must approve the resolution before it can go to the ballot. Democrats in the Virginia House of Delegates have said the resolution’s passage is among their 2026 legislative priorities.

“It’s time for Virginia’s Constitution to reflect the law of the land and the values of today,” said Ebbin after Friday’s vote. “This amendment, if approved by voters, would affirm the dignity of all committed couples and protects marriage equality for future generations.”

Maryland

Layoffs and confusion at Pride Center of Maryland after federal grants cut, reinstated

Trump administration move panicked addiction and mental health programs

Published

2 days ago

January 16, 2026

Baltimore Banner

Merrick Moses, a violence prevention coordinator, works at the Pride Center of Maryland in Baltimore. (Photo by Ulysses Muñoz for the Baltimore Banner)

By ALISSA ZHU | After learning it had abruptly lost $2 million in federal funding, the Pride Center of Maryland moved to lay off a dozen employees, or about a third of its workforce, the Baltimore nonprofit’s leader said Thursday.

The group is one of thousands nationwide that reportedly received letters late Tuesday from the Trump administration. Their mental health and addiction grants had been terminated, effective immediately, the letters said.

By Wednesday night, federal officials moved to reverse the funding cuts by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, estimated to total $2 billion, according to national media reports. But the Pride Center of Maryland’s CEO Cleo Manago said as of Thursday morning he had not heard anything from the federal government confirming those reports.

The rest of this article can be read on the Baltimore Banner’s website.