Less than a week before the start of a high-profile court trial about City Hall transparency, a Richmond judge decided Thursday to postpone the case because of unanswered questions about whether the city has produced all relevant information.
Instead of starting next Tuesday, the three-day trial over the firing of former city Freedom of Information Act officer Connie Clay was pushed off until June of 2026, a delay of at least nine months.
Circuit Court Judge Claire G. Cardwell said she knew the decision to cancel next week’s trial was frustrating for everyone involved, but she felt it was necessary in order to give Clay her day in court with a complete set of facts for jurors.
The judge faulted both sides for the delay, saying the lawyers involved have been unable to follow basic legal procedures without the court repeatedly having to intervene to settle disputes.
“The dynamics between the counsel in this case have caused things to be delayed in sort of an untenable fashion,” Cardwell said. “It frankly has felt sometimes a lot more like refereeing than judging.”
How the lengthy, eleventh-hour delay might impact the case is unclear. But it will continue to drive up the city’s legal bills in a lawsuit that’s already cost hundreds of thousands of dollars. Instead of being handled by the city’s own lawyers, Richmond brought in an outside legal team from the Ogletree Deakins law firm.
In a brief statement after the judge’s decision, Clay said she’s grateful for Cardwell’s “...
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