PUBLISHED

UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE FOURTH CIRCUIT

No. 23-2246

WILLIAM NILE ELAM, III,

Plaintiff - Appellee,

v.

STEPHEN TIMOTHY EARLY; MICHAEL S. EARLY; SUZANNE J. EARLY,

Defendants - Appellants.

Appeal from the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, at Alexandria. Michael Stefan Nachmanoff, District Judge. (1:23-cv-00229-MSN-WEF)

Argued: December 12, 2024 Decided: May 30, 2025

Before HARRIS, RICHARDSON, and QUATTLEBAUM, Circuit Judges.

Affirmed by published opinion. Judge Quattlebaum wrote the opinion, in which Judge Harris joined. Judge Richardson wrote a dissenting opinion.

ARGUED: Robert E. Goldman, LAW OFFICES OF ROBERT E. GOLDMAN LLC, Allentown, Pennsylvania, for Appellants. Philip J. Harvey, HARVEY LAW OFFICES, PLLC, Alexandria, Virginia, for Appellee. ON BRIEF: Paris R. Sorrell, HARVEY LAW O