12:00PM
Richmond, VA
Council Members Present
Officers:
Shannon L. Taylor (Henrico County), Chairman
Anton A. Bell (Hampton), First Vice Chairman
Julia H. Sichol (Westmoreland County), Secretary
Nathan R. Green (James City County/Williamsburg), Past Chairman
Council District Representatives:
1. Krystyn L. Reid (York County)(Zoom: Approved for remote attendance)
2. Matthew R. Hamel (Chesapeake)
5. Bethany A. S. Harrison (Lynchburg)(Zoom: Approved for remote attendance)
6. David L. Ledbetter (Waynesboro)
7. Clarissa T. Berry (Madison County)
9. Robert M. Lilly (Giles County)
10. Amy M. Ashworth (Prince William Co.)(Zoom: Approved for remote attendance)
11. Steve Descano (Fairfax County)
Other Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Present
Patricia T. Watson (Greensville County/Emporia)
Colin Stolle (Virginia Beach)(Zoom)
Meredith D. Adkins (King & Queen County)
Jane Wrightson (Northumberland County)
Georgette C. Phillips (Isle of Wight)
Ramin Fatehi (Norfolk)(Zoom)
Megan L. Clark (Prince Edward County)(Zoom)
R. Bryan Haskins (Pittsylvania County)(Zoom)
Heather D. Hovermale (Winchester)(Zoom)
Parisa Dehghani-Tafti (Arlington County/Falls Church)(Zoom)
Christian E. Rehak (Radford)
Mike Jones (Wythe County)(Zoom)
Stacey T. Davenport (Chesterfield County)
Anne M. Williams (Clarke County)
Tiffany Buckner (Petersburg)
Lyle Carver (Amherst County)
Dayna Kendrick Bobbitt (Patrick County)
Roger Brooks (Carroll County)
Mike Newman (Danville)
Wendy Hannah (Cumberland County)
Justin Griffith (Pulaski County)
Daniel Rutherford (Nelson County)
Leanne Watrous (Nottoway County)
Allen Nash (Mecklenburg County)
Mary Pettitt (Montgomery County)
Guests
Linda Saunders (Roanoke City)
Deputy Commonwealth’s Attorneys Present
Kristin Knudson (Prince George County)
CASC Staff Present
Jane Sherman Chambers
Elliott Casey (Zoom)
VACA Staff Present
Amanda Howie, Administrator
Call to Order
Ms. Taylor called the meeting to order at 12:03 p.m.
Minutes
The draft minutes from the August 3, 2023, and August 6, 2023, meetings were previously posted and circulated to Council. The minutes were approved as submitted.
Chairman’s Report
None.
Administrator’s Report
Ms. Chambers reported that CASC’s new human trafficking training that is being co-hosted with DCJS, VSP and HTI (Human Trafficking Institute) is underway. It appears to be going very well.
Ms. Chambers reviewed the agenda items:
Old Business
CATF Update
Ms. Chambers reviewed the CATF balance sheet reflecting account activity through August 31, 2023.
Curriculum Retreat Update
Ms. Chambers reported that the Curriculum Committee met and developed agendas for the 2023 Executive Program, the 2024 Spring Institute and the 2024 Annual Summer Conference. She reviewed drafts of the program agendas that were circulated with the meeting agenda.
Update on CASC General Fund FY25 Budget Requests
Ms. Chambers reminded attendees that CASC is requesting funding for a fulltime administrative assistant (the previous funding for which had been cut in 2008) and for a new staff attorney to serve as a resource prosecutor to address gangs, drugs and human trafficking. She submitted her budget proposals to the Secretary of Public Safety, who approved them to be sent up the chain. She also reported that the $20,000 request that was submitted this budget cycle to pay for a state-mandated switch from Dropbox to Box was not included in the latest budget. CASC will have to resubmit that request in FY25.
New Business
Proposed Speaker Rafael Mangual
Ms. Chambers circulated with the meeting agenda a copy of an email she sent to CASC officers in December 2022 in which she suggested that Rafael Mangual may be of interest as a speaker. He spoke at NAPC about his book “Criminal (In)Justice”. After some discussion, the consensus was that Spring Institute was not the appropriate forum for this type of presentation.
2023 New Officer Training
Ms. Chambers reported that the 2023 New Officer Training hosted by the Comp Board will be held in Richmond from Dec. 13 – 15, 2023. The specific hotel will be announced at a later time. There will be 9 new Commonwealth’s Attorneys who are running unopposed. There also are 19 contested elections, so this should be a large class of incoming CA’s.
Public Comment
None.
Adjournment
There being no further business before Council, the meeting adjourned at 12:34 p.m. The next regularly scheduled meeting is November 8, 12:00 noon, at the CASC offices at Truist Place (formerly SunTrust Building), 919 E. Main Street, Suite 1250, Richmond.