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This year I intend to be a candidate for Commonwealth's Attorney in the City of Charlottesville. We need a fresh perspective and new ideas to make needed reforms in our criminal justice system. The Commonwealth's Attorney is the "gatekeeper" to the court system. Their charging decisions can make a critical difference in peoples' lives. Community What many states call the District Attorney, Virginia calls the "Commonwealth's Attorney," that is, the public prosecutor. Since it is a public position, I believe there should be more community involvement. Jury trials are now less than 2% of cases, and it is time to look for other ways for citizens to have input into their system. I propose a citizens' advisory council, modeled after those of the Charlottesville Police Department and the Public Defenders' Office. This advisory group should represent all segments of our city, including African Americans and the LGBTQ and Latino communities. The Commonwealth's Attorney should visit the neighborhood associations and other community meetings. Experience I was an assistant commonwealth's attorney in Charlottesville for 8 years and Commonwealth's Attorney for 4 years more. During my time in the office I broke down racial barriers and hired the first African Americans ever to work in the Commonwealth's Attorney's office. I established the Victim Witness Program which assists victims and witnesses of crime. Additionally, by creating a unique partnership with Albemarle County and the UVA Law School, we implemented the Domestic Violence Project. Perspective As a student in the doctoral program in Criminology at Florida State University I gained an academic perspective on crime and punishment. I had the enriching experience of teaching undergraduate students as I finished all the course work for a PhD. My experience in academia allowed me to take a step back and observe the court system from the outside. It also taught me the value of social science research in the field of criminal justice. The prosecutor should interact more with the academic community. Crime Prevention should be a major part of the prosecutor's job. Much can be accomplished by way of education and I propose a partnership with UVA, PVCC and local schools in the prevention of violence, especially gender violence. If we can prevent one crime we save the state the cost of prosecution and incarceration, we help a young person avoid a ciminal record and, most importantly, there is one less victim. Openness Transparency is important. My office will be open and accessible to the public and the media. We will have an open-door policy and there will be a public email and Facebook. The communication should be a two-way street; I value your input and welcome your ideas. No one person has all the answers; let us resolve to work together to make the system better. The Future All of my experiences have informed who I am and have given me a tremendous perspective on the criminal justice system and ideas on how to move it forward. To accomplish these goals I need your help and ask for your support in the upcoming Democratic primary on June 11, 2013.
Steve Deaton
(February 14, 2013)
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