A D.C. Superior Court judge today refused to throw out a $20 million wrongful death suit that alleges three Washington men, including a former Arent Fox partner, conspired to cover up the unsolved murder of lawyer Robert Wone.

The defense attorneys for the three housemates named in the suit wanted the case dismissed on the ground it was filed outside the one-year statute of limitations. The attorneys representing defendants Joseph Price, Victor Zaborsky and Dylan Ward said Wone’s estate had enough information to bring a lawsuit within a year after the August 2006 murder.