CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA (CVILLE RIGHT NOW) – New Charlottesville City Attorney John Maddux has publicly shared an agreement reached with the Gentry Locke law firm which missed a filing deadline in the suit against the city’s new zoning code but keeps them on the case. Maddux entered the City Attorney’s office from Asheville in May, around the time the firm missed the deadline that resulted in Circuit Judge Claude Worrell’s June 30 summary judgement nullifying the code. Judge Worrell has since reversed that judgement and will hear the merits of the case.

“I’m sure some day John Grisham will write a legal thriller about all the things that happened after that. I hope Danny DeVito plays me in the movie,” Maddux quipped to City Council.

Maddux said it would take considerable time and money to bring different legal representation in to get them up to speed and compose strategy in the case. He felt it more prudent for Gentry Locke to have the opportunity to fix the mistake.

“It wouldn’t have benefitted us to change horses midstream and find new counsel.”

He said, instead, Gentry Locke agreed not to take any payments unless they were able to get Judge Worrell’s summary judgement reversed, which did indeed happen. Maddux said, “We’re back on track.”

“Gentry Locke screwed up, they didn’t do a good job in that, but since then they have acted admirably. They have acted just like I hoped they’d do,” Maddux said.

Now that the case is going forward, Maddux shared they will continue to represent the city at a reduced rate. Additionally, they changed the lead counsel to the head of their litigation team, Michael Finney, along with whom Maddux calls one of the best appellate lawyers in the state, Monica Monday.

“We’re very hopeful when we get the case before the judge on the merits, that we will prevail and the city will have the zoning that you all voted for,” Maddux said.

Maddux said there’s still a lot of litigation to happen, and they’ll be discussing discovery deadlines and trial dates yet to be determined.