On December 10, 2010, the Newport News Division of Bankruptcy Court for United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia entered companion Orders in Chapter 7 proceedings for discharge, In re Christine D. Newsome, No. 10-51792-SCS, and In re James S. Newsome, Jr., No. 10-51881-SCS. Those Orders lifted the automatic stay of Bankruptcy for purposes of entering final judgment and setting appeal bond against both Debtors in the brain injury case of Gagnon v. Burns, No. CL08-572 in Circuit Court for Gloucester County, Virginia.
On August 26, 2010, a Gloucester jury in Gagnon awarded the brain injury victim $6,100,000.00: $3,250,000.00 against Mr. Newsome, $500,000.00 against Ms. Newsome, and $1,250,000.00 against the Assistant Principal, William Robert Travis Burns; plus $1,100,000.00 in pre-judgment interest on each of those principal amounts. At hearing on November 9, 2010, the Judge in Gagnon tentatively set appeal bonds of $4,000,000.00 for Mr. Newsome, $750,000.00 for Ms. Newsome, and $1,700,000.00 for Assistant Principal Burns.
