An immense victory for Save Sweet Briar advocates today. From the Richmond Times-Dispatch:
The high court’s six-page ruling found that Bedford County Circuit Judge James Updike erred when he said he could not grant a temporary injunction based at least in part on the conclusion that the law of trusts cannot apply to a corporation.
“This legal conclusion is erroneous,” the ruling said. The justices heard arguments Thursday on whether the college was a corporation, a trust or both.
“It is important to emphasize, however, that our holding today does not rule upon the legal status of any particular party to this litigation,” said the ruling.
Ideally, this gets the ball rolling in the right direction. More as it develops.
UPDATE: Virginia Virtucon has more:
The Supreme Court didn’t take the next step and impose such an injunction, but merely held that the Circuit Court could did have the power to do so. This could be a big win for the opponents of the closure as it gives them more time to dig into the mysterious reasons that a seemingly stable, functioning college rich in land and history is being closed down without any real explanation. I’ve heard some rumors that there may be more to the story including out-of-state interests influencing the political process. More time to bring the mystery to light means more chances to save the school.
Is there anyone in Virginia on the side of the Sweet Briar Board of Visitors here?
UPDATE x2: The Roanoke Times has a bit more on the impact of the decision:
This means Amherst County Attorney Ellen Bowyer gets another chance at securing more injunctive relief in her case against Sweet Briar College.
She is asking for injunctions requiring the college to halt all closure activities and operate next school year, and she is also seeking for the circuit court to appoint a special fiduciary to take over the college.
So far, she has only obtained an injunction that temporarily prohibits the college from using certain solicited donations for closure activities.
So again, some oxygen… and perceptibly some downhill running for Sweet Briar.
