Wilson v. Bedford County Board

By Judge J. Michael Gamble

I am writing to rule on the Plea in Bar filed by the Defendant.

The Court sustains the Defendant’s Plea in Bar because Plaintiffs’ claims against Bedford County are barred by the doctrine of sovereign immunity. The doctrine of sovereign immunity serves many important functions for federal, state, and local government. The Supreme Court of Virginia, in Messina v. Burden, 228 Va. 301, 321 S.E.2d 657 (1984), articulated some of the multitude of purposes which the doctrine serves, such as “protecting the public purse, providing for smooth operation of government,…