October 25 is trial date for GoFundMe lawsuit against Hopewell city councilor

HOPEWELL – A General District Court judge has set Oct. 25 as the trial date for a Hopewell woman suing Ward 7 Councilor Dominic Holloway over allegedly taking money from a GoFundMe account he set up for her murdered child.

Judge Craig Dunkum of Henrico County, who was brought in after Hopewell judges recused themselves from the case, ordered Brionna Taylor to file a detailed account of the misuse by Sept. 22. Holloway was ordered to file his grounds of defense by Oct. 10.

The judge reiterated the importance of meeting those deadlines, saying failure to do so by either side would allow the other party to ask for judgement without a hearing. Under state law, plaintiffs and defendants in civil cases can receive copies of opposing documents before trial.

In the lawsuit filed in June, Taylor claims Holloway took money from the GoFundMe account for her daughter, P’Aris Mi-Unique Angel Moore, and used it to pay child support that he owed another woman. She is suing him for $5,600.

Holloway denied the allegation in a brief exchange with the judge that set the tone for the rest of the day.

“So do you agree or disagree with the amount?” Dunkum asked Holloway.

“I disagree,” he responded.

“Then what is the amount?” Dunkum asked.

“None,” Holloway replied, drawing a glare from Taylor with that comment.

P’Aris was 8 years old when she was shot to death Dec. 30, 2022, in the front yard of a relative’s house on Freeman Street in eastern Hopewell. Her death reeled the city, sparking several community events such as a candlelight vigil and justice walk.

Holloway, fresh off his November council election and just two days away from taking office, set up a GoFundMe account to cover P’Aris’ funeral expenses and other final costs.

Wednesday’s hearing was tinged with tension and set the stage for what could be a very emotional trial next month. Even deciding on a date for trial had its moments.

Dunkum suggested Oct. 25 for the trial date because that was the next time he would be in Hopewell. Taylor said that date worked for her, but Holloway was hesitant to commit because of a potential conflict with a case he was involved with in Hopewell Circuit and Juvenile & Domestic Relations Court. When Dunkum suggested Nov. 4, Taylor said she would be out of town on that date and followed that up with a comment directed toward Holloway.

Dunkum admonished Taylor for the remark.

“I don’t need any extra comments,” he told her. “We’re just trying to provide a trial date.”

After Holloway said he still was unsure about Oct. 25, Dunkum suspended the proceedings and asked the court clerk to check the Circuit and JDR dockets to confirm the appearance. After several minutes passed, the clerk returned to say there was nothing scheduled for those dates involving Holloway.

That prompted Holloway to clarify that he was not the subject of the case but subpoenaed as a witness in a custody battle involving two other people. Dunkum suspended the hearing for a few more minutes while the clerk checked again and found that the Circuit Court hearing was on Oct. 13, not Oct. 25.

Dunkum made sure that Taylor had Holloway’s correct address for sending a copy of her list of allegations. The councilor’s address was an issue in a previous court appearance when the court papers to be served had the wrong house number on two separate occasions.

Emotions from the hearing spilled into the courthouse hall.

As Holloway was leaving, Taylor exchanged words with him, saying he was “a liar” and claiming she had called FBI and the Virginia State Police “on your ass” to investigate. By that time, Holloway had stepped into a stairwell into the lobby of the court building, and his responses could not be immediately heard.

“One thing he is not going to do is stand there in court and lie,” Taylor said, tears welling in her eyes. “I am gonna expose him for what he is.”

Holloway declined comment to The Progress-Index as he left.

Meanwhile, two men have been arrested in connection with shooting the child. Jamari Antonio Taylor, 20, of Hopewell, and Rayquan Latrel Harvell, 18, of Chesterfield County, are charged with first-degree murder and use of a firearm in the commission of a felony. Taylor also was indicted on conspiracy to commit murder and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

Jamari Taylor's next court hearing is set for Oct. 11, and Harvell's is Nov. 1.

More: Hopewell Police arrest two men in connection with December 2022 shooting death of child

Bill Atkinson (he/him/his) is an award-winning journalist who covers breaking news, government and politics. Reach him at batkinson@progress-index.com or on X (formerly known as Twitter) at @BAtkinson_PI.

This article originally appeared on The Progress-Index: Judge sets trial date in GoFundMe suit against Hopewell councilor