Virginia Wins! DC may have lost the Olympics, but the Old Dominion won the sniper sweepstakes, as John Ashcroft awarded us first dibs at trying, convicting and sentencing the bandit duo. Virginia lagged much of the race against Maryland, where the suspects were being held and which seems to have suffered the most incidents during the Muhammed-Malvo crime spree. Indeed, just earlier this week Fairfax Country hadn't even filed charges yet in the Home Depot shooting. Credit the Commonwealth's come-from-behind victory on our progressive death penalty laws, which allow us to send minors to the lethal injection table and which generally permit fewer chances at reviewing evidence or hearing pleas for clemency. I know Michaels arts-and-crafts stores will be first in line for vengeance.