Commonwealth's Attorney

The mission of the Chesapeake Commonwealth Attorney’s Office is to prosecute crime and seek justice for victims, citizens, and for the City of Chesapeake. Teamwork, Mentorship and Training are the philosophical pillars of this office.

The Commonwealth Attorney's Office is responsible for:

• Prosecuting all felony cases in the General District Court, Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court, and Circuit Court for the City;
• Providing legal assistance to the Chesapeake Police Department, including training at the Police Academy;
• Representing the Commonwealth in trials of certain civil cases such as forfeiture of money, vehicles, and other properties involved in drug sales and money laundering;
• Enforcing election laws and representing the Commonwealth in denial of voter registration appeals;
• Reviewing all concealed weapons permits;
• Representing the Commonwealth in hearings involving expungements, restoration of driver’s licenses, and firearm restorations;
• Prosecuting all misdemeanor appeals, DUIs, overweight vehicle citations charged by the State Police, misdemeanor domestic violence cases, misdemeanors committed on school property, weapons offenses involving juveniles, assault and battery offenses involving children of tender years, and certain other misdemeanors upon citizen or police request for assistance;
• Preparing conflict of interest opinions and providing a copy of the mandated conflicts of interest laws to all City Council appointees, as well as Board and Commission members;
• Prosecuting Virginia Occupational and Safety Health violations;
• Presenting informative crime prevention programs throughout the City, while serving on committees, task forces, and advisory boards to improve services provided to the citizens of Chesapeake to improve the criminal justice system.

Objectives

• Seeking justice by prosecuting cases ethically and professionally.
• Accountability for criminal behavior and deterrence of crime throughout the City.
• Proactively reducing the level of criminal activity in targeted areas, as well as utilizing community prosecution programs, and interfacing with the community.
• Educating the public and continuing crime prevention programs.
• Recruit, train, develop and maintain the highest caliber prosecutors and support staff.
• Continue prosecuting misdemeanor domestic violence and DUIs, as well as increase other types of statutorily nonmandated misdemeanors that this office can prosecute, to include retail theft cases and support to our business and elderly communities.

Strategic Outcome: Safety & Security

The Commonwealth Attorney’s Office supports the City Council’s strategic pillars and seeks the desired outcome of ensuring Chesapeake remains a wonderful place to live, learn, work, farm and play. This is most notably attained when our citizens feel a sense of safety and security throughout our City. This is achieved through the legal process by having a wonderful and strong prosecution team along with meaningful community engagement to deter criminal activity and reduce recidivism rates. A strong working relationship with our public safety partners is paramount in these endeavors.