Norfolk commonwealth's attorney faces challenge from former federal prosecutor
Norfolk Commonwealth's Attorney Ramin Fatehi is being challenged in the Democratic primary by former Assistant U.S. Attorney John F. Butler. Fatehi is seeking a second four-year term, while Butler is making his first run for elected office.
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Age: 46
Employment: Former Managing Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia's Norfolk Division
Education: J.D., Georgetown University Law Center; M.A. in National Security and Strategic Studies, U.S. Naval War College; B.A. in American Government, Georgetown University
Military Service: A veteran of the U.S. Navy JAG Corps, Butler currently serves as a Commander in the Navy Reserves Judiciary Unit.
Party Affiliation: Democrat
Website: https://www.butlerfornorfolk.com
What do you believe is the most important issue facing the office now?
Effective leadership. According to the Virginian-Pilot, the office has seen an 'exodus of attorneys,' and by our count, more than 70 employees have left from an office of 85 staff. That staggering level of turnover speaks to the culture and current leadership. The office needs an effective manager, who leads by example and works to support the staff and develop their talent to accomplish the core function of the job – prosecuting cases in a fair and equitable way that delivers justice to victims and their families and upholds the rule of law. An effective leader also understands the importance of being proactive about addressing crime by prioritizing prevention and intervention efforts, which can be accomplished by building relationships of trust. With effective leadership, we can deliver justice, reduce crime and prevent it before it happens.
Why do you think you're the best candidate for the job?
I have a track record of success, and as a servant leader, I know how to build strong teams that deliver results. I have dedicated my life to public service both through the Navy JAG Corps, where I am currently a Commander and a Judge in the Reserves, and through a decade of service in the U.S. Attorney's Office, where for the last three years, I managed 60 federal prosecutors and staff. In that role, I successfully prosecuted some of the region's most complex cases, delivering justice to victims and their families. I also focused on building prevention and intervention programs to get ahead of crime before it happens, keeping people out of the criminal justice system and making our community safer. And that's why I am honored to have the endorsement of Mayor Kenny Alexander, Treasurer Daun Hester and Sheriff Joe Baron because they know I am the best candidate to lead this office.
If you could pick only one solution, how would you reduce violent crime in our community?
Reducing violent crime requires an all-hands-on-deck approach. During my time in the U.S. Attorney's Office, I knew that the old approach, focusing solely on prosecuting crime after it happens, wasn't working. We needed to get ahead of it. That's what I did in my work leading Project Safe Neighborhoods and the Hampton Roads Opioid Working Group. Teamwork is critical to tackle an issue as complicated as violent crime. Faith based leaders, community based organizations, the medical community, first responders, state, local, and federal law enforcement, as well as business, medical, and academic stakeholders all need to be a part of the solution. These entities working in concert with one another, led by an effective Commonwealth's Attorney, can focus on community violence intervention and find alternative pathways for at-risk individuals before they ever get involved in the justice system.
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Age: 46
Employment: Commonwealth's Attorney, City of Norfolk
Education: B.A., History, with Distinction in the Major, Yale University (2000); J.D., Columbia University Law School (2003)
Elected Offices Candidate has Held: Elected Commonwealth's Attorney for the City of Norfolk in November 2021
Party Affiliation: Democrat
Website: http://www.fatehinorfolk.com
What do you believe is the most important issue facing the office now?
Donald Trump is taking a wrecking ball to the rule of law, offering pardons to cronies and oppression to political opponents and the poor, all while cutting federal funding to the social programs that prevent crime. Trump's actions will have a direct effect on the administration of justice in Norfolk: Further damaging trust in the justice system, alienating people from the police and prosecutors, and driving up crime. Meanwhile, my office has been starved for funding. My office's maximum salaries and maximum number of staff are set by the mayor and his allies. We were allotted 42 prosecutors in 2008; today we are allotted 40, despite the increased workloads from body cameras and digital evidence. I have hired and retained a diverse and talented staff in the midst of the Great Resignation and a national prosecutor shortage, but I am turning away qualified applicants for lack of space.
Why do you think you're the best candidate for the job?
I have a successful record of promoting public safety through criminal justice reform. Since I took office, Norfolk's homicides and violent crime are down 40%. Property crime is down 27%. The jail population is down. I am beholden to no one and ready to stand up against Donald Trump. I am committed to building trust in the system, pursuing policies supported by data, and avoiding the mistakes of mass incarceration. I am the only candidate who has real experience in Virginia's state courts. I have advocated for marijuana legalization, gun safety, and Virginia's first victim and witness protection program. I will never prosecute a woman or her doctor for an abortion legal under Roe. I go to every murder scene in Norfolk, and I have focused my office's efforts on holding violent people accountable while offering diversion, treatment, and alternatives to people who deserve a second chance.
If you could pick only one solution, how would you reduce violent crime in our community?
The cases we prosecute are immensely important for victims, the accused, their families, and the community, and the criminal-justice system can and should hold dangerous people accountable. Fostering community trust and the smart use of technology can help solve crime and secure convictions, but the data shows that the criminal justice system alone cannot meaningfully reduce violent crime. Crime is a manifestation of other, more profound problems. Violent crime spiked in Norfolk and nationally during COVID and then came down after COVID, and it was not because of the justice system. The real way to reduce violent crime is to address its root causes by providing good jobs at good pay, good schools for rich and poor children alike, quality healthcare, affordable housing, youth mentoring, and incentives to family formation and parenting. Only then will we see a real change in public safety.
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