Former Virginia wide receiver Jahmal Edrine was arrested Feb. 5 and charged with one count of rape and one count of abduction following a months-long investigation by the Albemarle County Police Department.
The charges stem from an incident reported Aug. 25, in which a victim alleged they were sexually assaulted the previous day. Edrine was indicted by an Albemarle County grand jury Feb. 2 and was granted bond at $25,000 after a bail hearing Wednesday.
As the legal proceedings commence, Edrine has retained Rhonda Quagliana, a prominent Charlottesville defense attorney and partner at the Charlottesville firm MichieHamlett Trial Attorneys.
Quagliana is a veteran litigator with more than 25 years of experience in complex civil and criminal litigation. She has deep ties to the University community and a history of representing high-profile defendants in complex criminal and Title IX cases.
Quagliana’s connection to the University spans decades, both as a student and as a faculty member. She earned her Ph.D. from the University in 1992 before attending the University’s School of Law, where she received her J.D. in 1995. Prior to her time in Charlottesville, she earned a B.A. with honors from Tulane University in 1984.
Beyond her practice, Quagliana also serves as a lecturer and adjunct faculty member at the University’s School of Law, where she instructs students on legal skills and advocacy. She additionally serves as a substitute judge in the General District and Juvenile and Domestic Relations Courts of the Sixteenth Judicial District.
Quagliana’s case history includes work on some of Virginia’s most widely covered prosecutions. She is perhaps best known for her role in one of the most publicized criminal trials in Charlottesville's history — Quagliana was part of the defense team for George Huguely V., the former U.Va men’s lacrosse player convicted of second-degree murder in 2012 for the killing of fellow student, ex-girlfriend and women’s lacrosse player Yeardley Love.
Quagliana has also handled other high-profile Charlottesville area matters, including representing DeAndre Harris during the criminal case that resulted in his acquittal, stemming from the 2017 Charlottesville rallies and subsequent violence that ensued.
The intersection of criminal charges and university disciplinary proceedings is a specific area of her expertise. Quagliana has a documented history of defending both faculty and students in University disciplinary and Title IX investigations, and was the first attorney to successfully challenge the University’s Title IX policy in federal court.
Quagliana’s background aligns with what Edrine would have likely been looking for in a defense attorney. Edrine faces potential consequences in both the criminal justice system and the University’s administrative system. Quagliana’s experience with the Huguely trial demonstrates her ability to navigate the intense media scrutiny and high stakes that accompany felony charges against University student-athletes.
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