Tag: progressive prosecution

Attorney General Miyares Blames Fairfax Commonwealth Attorney Steve Descano’s Policies for Allowing Murders of Homeless

Eric Burk
Jason Miyares

Attorney General Jason Miyares blasted Fairfax County Commonwealth’s Attorney Steve Descano in a radio appearance Wednesday, blaming Descano’s prosecutorial philosophy for murders of homeless in Washington, D.C. and New York. Miyares said Descano’s office didn’t give a harsh enough sentence to alleged murderer Gerald Brevard III when he was facing charges in 2020.

“Sometimes we hear about these policy issues, and you maybe hear about and think it doesn’t really impact people’s lives,” Miyares said on O’Connor and Company. “In this case, you had five individuals that have been shot, two were tragically killed by someone that has been classified as a serial killer. And just to be clear, my understanding from my office is this individual’s already out on a federal robbery charge. He was on probation for that, and gets picked up for abduction and burglary, gets his charge reduced to a misdemeanor.”

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Commonwealth’s Attorney Deghani-Tafti Partners with Vera Institute of Justice

Eric Burk

The Vera Institute of Justice announced that Arlington County and Falls Church Commonwealth’s Attorney Parisa Dehghani-Tafti and St. Louis, Missouri Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner would be the first of ten new prosecutors in a program designed to provide support and training to cut criminal justice racial disparity by 20 percent.

“The Vera Institute of Justice will provide assistance with data analysis, staff training, community engagement, and policy support to expand the offices’ understanding of the criminal legal system’s history of racial injustice and guide them on a path toward a more equitable future,” a Vera Institute press release states.

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Stand Up Virginia Launches Petition to Recall Fairfax Commonwealth’s Attorney Descano

Eric Burk

Stand Up Virginia held a rally outside the Fairfax County Government Center on Tuesday evening announcing the launch of an effort to recall Fairfax County Commonwealth’s Attorney Steve Descano. About 75 people attended the event, according to Stand Up Virginia President Brenda Tillett, who said she had also heard from supporters who couldn’t attend due to government jobs.

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Loudoun Board of Supervisors Criticizes Commonwealth’s Attorney for Handling of Domestic Violence Cases

Eric Burk
Commonwealth Attorney Buta Biberaj

The Loudoun County Board of Supervisors has decided to give Commonwealth’s Attorney Buta Biberaj a smaller budget increase than requested amid concerns over high turnover in Biberaj’s office and her handling of domestic violence cases. In recent budget work sessions, supervisors cited a statistic that out of 735 cases, Biberaj’s office dismissed 491 cases. As an elected official, Biberaj herself is not under the authority of the board, but the county contributes a significant portion of her office’s budget.

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