Loudoun County attorney’s office to no longer prosecute certain misdemeanors
Cami Mondeaux
The Loudoun County Office of the Commonwealth’s Attorney in Virginia will no longer prosecute certain misdemeanor charges in an effort to crack down on more violent crimes, according to a letter sent to local judges in late December.
Attorney Buta Biberaj announced her office would no longer prosecute certain misdemeanor charges beginning next week in an effort to allocate resources toward more violent cases, she wrote in a letter to county judges on Dec. 30. Instead, certain misdemeanors, such as hit-and-runs and public intoxication, will be deferred to local courts and law enforcement.
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“As you may know, with the increase in the trials in Circuit Court and the introduction of body worn camera and related recordings in each case, the OCA is inundated and left with insufficient time to prosecute every infraction and low-level offense that is charged,” Biberaj wrote, based on a copy of the letter obtained by ABC7 News.
“To better serve our community and to ensure that we are providing safety and justice, we need to reallocate our resources towards the more egregious cases that are being charged by law enforcement and threaten the safety of our community,” she said.
Biberaj provided a list of misdemeanor crimes that would no longer be under her jurisdiction, including reckless driving, speeding, trespassing, petty larceny, underage drinking, failure to appear in court, noise complaints, and more.
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The changes will take effect on Monday, and any misdemeanor crimes committed before that date are expected to be prosecuted by the OCA. In the meantime, the attorney’s office will work with local law enforcement to “provide trainings and guidance so that they are best prepared to present these cases to your courts,” according to the letter.
The Washington Examiner contacted the OCA for comment but has not yet received a response.