Tag: Angela Greene

Portsmouth Settles Sen. Lucas’ Lawsuit Against Ex-Chief Greene, Greene Not Happy With Decision

Eric Burk

The City of Portsmouth has settled with Senator Louse Lucas (D-Portsmouth) in her lawsuit against former Chief Angela Greene and Sergeant Kevin McGee, with the city agreeing to pay Lucas $300,000, according to a Greene press release. In June, Lucas sued Greene and McGee for $6.75 million after the police department filed felony charges against Lucas over her alleged involvement in the destruction of the Portsmouth confederate monument in June 2020.

A court dismissed the charges and Portsmouth fired Greene. Lucas’ lawsuit alleges that Greene and McGee committed malicious prosecution, defamation, false imprisonment, and gross negligence. In a statement Friday, Lucas said she’d donate the funds to charity.

Read More

Court Dismisses Senator Lucas Recall Petition

Eric Burk

Chesapeake Circuit Court Judge John Brown dismissed a petition to recall Senator Louise Lucas (D-Portsmouth) on Friday. Conservatives in her district had obtained about 8,000 signatures to remove Lucas, alleging misuse of office, but the court sided with Lucas’ legal team who argued that Virginia senators can only be recalled by a two-thirds vote in the Senate. Separate provisions in the Code of Virginia and the Virginia Constitution detail processes for removing elected officials, but the Lucas team argued that only the constitutional provision applies to state legislators, and that therefore the court did not have jurisdiction, according to The Virginian-Pilot.

Read More

Former Portsmouth Police Chief Greene Sues City, Senator Lucas

Eric Burk

Former Portsmouth Police Chief Angela Greene is suing the City of Portsmouth and Senator Louise Lucas (D-Portsmouth), along with several other civic leaders and current and former city officials. Former City Manager Lydia Pettis-Patton placed Greene on leave in the wake of a June protest at the Portsmouth monument that led to Greene’s department filing felony charges, later dropped, against Lucas. Greene was finally terminated in November. Her lawsuit bundles multiple complaints against multiple figures.

Read More

The Virginia Star’s Person of the Year 2020: The Nominees

Eric Burk

Gun rallies, a general election, COVID-19, and social unrest – it’s been a busy year for Virginians. The Virginia Star is compiling a list of Virginia’s top newsmakers; the staff has picked twelve people, and we’re also looking for reader suggestions: who should come in first and why? Who else should be on the list?

Read More

Former Portsmouth Police Chief Angela Greene Tells Her Story

Eric Burk

Angela Greene says she was fired for upholding the law. The former Portsmouth Police Chief was placed on administrative leave after her department announced felony charges against Senator Louise Lucas (D-Portsmouth) and others alleged to have been involved in damaging the city’s Confederate monument in June. The charges were dropped on November 16, the same day Greene was fired.

Read More

Ousted Portsmouth Police Chief Angela Greene Speaks on Tucker Carlson Tonight

Eric Burk

Fox News commentator Tucker Carlson hosted Portsmouth’s ousted Police Chief Angela Greene on his show Wednesday night to discuss recent events in Portsmouth. Greene’s department issued charges against Senator Louise Lucas and others after Portsmouth’s Confederate monument was damaged in a June protest. On Monday, Greene was fired and the charges were dismissed.

Read More

Portsmouth Fires Police Chief Greene

Eric Burk

The City of Portsmouth fired Police Chief Angela Greene on Monday morning. In a press conference, Greene said she was fired for enforcing the law against Senator Louise Lucas (D-Portsmouth) and others alleged to have damaged the city’s Confederate monument in a June protest. Former City Manager Lydia Pettis-Patton had placed Greene on administrative leave at the beginning of September.

Read More

Court Dismisses Felony Charges Against Lucas

Eric Burk

The City of Portsmouth District Court dismissed the felony charges against Senator Louise Lucas (D-Portsmouth) and the others charged with damaging the city’s Confederate monument in June, according to The Virginian-Pilot. The Portsmouth Commonwealth’s Attorney’s office asked the court to dismiss the charges, arguing that by not intervening in the vandalism, officers “either explicitly or implicitly misled [the defendants] to believe that such conduct was lawful.”

Read More

Judge Rejects Subpoena Calling Portsmouth Commonwealth Attorney Stephanie Morales to Testify in Lucas Case

Eric Burk

A judge rejected a subpoena calling Portsmouth Commonwealth’s Attorney Stephanie Morales to testify in the Lucas case Monday. As a result, the case goes to Morales’ office and she will take the lead on the prosecution. Lucas and 18 others charged by the Portsmouth Police Department (PPD) will have their next hearing on November 19.

Judge Claire Cardwell ruled that the Portsmouth Police can not call Morales as a witness; some of Lucas’ supporters viewed the subpoena as an attempt to keep Morales out of the prosecution. In a statement, Morales’ lawyer said, “The judge said that the police department is to transmit its investigative file to Ms. Morales. Ms. Morales will prosecute all of the matters under her constitutional authority as the elected Commonwealth’s Attorney.”

Read More

Portsmouth NAACP Tries Again to File Charges Against Council Members Moody, Psimas

Eric Burk

The Portsmouth Magistrate has again rebuffed Portsmouth NAACP leaders in attempts to file charges against Portsmouth council members Bill Moody and Elizabeth Psimas. NAACP branch President James Boyd and Vice President Louie Gibbs went to the magistrate on Friday to present emails that they said showed Moody and Psimas committing a misdemeanor violation of the city charter.

Read More

Portsmouth Tea Party Calling for Senator Lucas to be Removed, Police Chief Greene Reinstated

Eric Burk

As Portsmouth is divided among its city leadership, Senator Louise Lucas, and the police chief who announced felony charges against Lucas, the Portsmouth Tea Party is supporting Police Chief Angela Greene with a series of meetings and protests. In their latest rally Sunday, over 100 people met in front of the Portsmouth City Hall, using constitution-based arguments to call for Greene to be re-instated and for Lucas to be removed.

Read More

After City Manager Placed Police Chief On Leave, Portsmouth Ousts City Manager, City Attorney

Eric Burk

Portsmouth City Manager Lydia Pettis-Patton resigned Tuesday, one business day after she placed Police Chief Angela Greene on leave, and four months before she was scheduled to retire. That afternoon, in a special meeting, the Portsmouth City Council confirmed Pettis-Patton’s resignation and voted to fire City Attorney Solomon Ashby.

Read More

After Vice-Mayor Calls for Firing, Portsmouth Police Chief Placed on Leave

Eric Burk

Portsmouth Police Chief Angela Greene is on administrative leave “effective immediately and until further notice,” according to an email sent on Friday by City Manager Lydia Pettis-Patton, The Virginian-Pilot reported. Assistant Chief Scott Burke is now leading the department.

Read More

Embattled State Senator Lucas and Daughter at the Center of Portsmouth Conflict

Eric Burk

Portsmouth deputies served two misdemeanor charges against Portsmouth Vice-Mayor Lisa Lucas-Burke in her office on Monday, according to reporting by WAVY.com.

The charges were filed at the Portsmouth Magistrate by resident Thomas Dubois. The charges are based on Portsmouth City Charter § 3.11, which states that city appointments and terminations must be handled through the city manager, and that violation is a class three misdemeanor.

Read More