Peterson v. Commonwealth

By Judge William N. Alexander, II

I. Defendants ’Plea of Res Judicata and Motion to Dismiss

Defendants, the Commonwealth of Virginia, Charles W. Steger, and James A. Hyatt have moved to dismiss the plaintiffs’ actions, with prejudice, on the grounds they are barred by the doctrine of res judicata. A brief recitation of the facts is necessary.

On April 16,2009, each plaintiff filed a separate, but identical, complaint simultaneously against Defendants Steger, Hyatt, and others in the Circuit Court of King George County and separate but identical complaints against these defendants and others in…