Prince William Times 07/17/2019

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GO, P-NATS, GO: The Potomac Nationals need a second half surge. Page 9

July 17, 2019 | Vol. 18, No. 29 | www.princewilliamtimes.com | 50¢ Covering Prince William County and surrounding communities, including Gainesville, Haymarket, Dumfries, Occoquan, Quantico and the cities of Manassas and Manassas Park.

CA candidates at odds on non-violent drug arrests By Daniel Berti

Times Staff Writer

The race to replace Prince William County’s outgoing Commonwealth’s Attorney Paul Ebert is beginning to take shape with both candidates -- Republican Mike May and Democrat Amy Ashworth – saying they support some criminal justice reforms but disagree about how they should be implemented. Ashworth, a former prosecutor who worked for the Prince William County Commonwealth’s Attorney for 11

years, said she plans to directly enact some policy reforms at the local level if elected. She said she’ll limit the use of cash bonds and put an end to the prosecution of non-violent, low-level drug possession of marijuana in most cases. “I believe it violates a prosecutor’s oath to say that they will not uphold the law,” Ashworth said in an email. “I also believe many low-level drug offenses can be diverted from the criminal justice system so that the act does not result in a conviction for the defendant and instead uses dispositional alternatives to focus on substance abuse

PHOTO BY ROGER SNYDER

Amy Ashworth (D)

Mike May (R)

treatment and rehabilitation.” May, an attorney who served on the Prince William County Board of Supervisors from 2007 to 2015, said those reforms are best handled by state legislators rather than local prosecutors.

Kline farm plans on hold for now

See CANDIDATES, page 2

One of the county’s last remaining stretches of farmland along Prince William Parkway will remain green at least a little longer as a result of a decision to defer a vote on the latest plan for a new housing development on the 92-acre Kline farm. After a July 11 public hearing that stretched more than three hours, the Prince William County Planning Commission voted unanimously to send a plan for 310 homes – a mix of “two-over-two” condominiums, townhomes and single-family houses – back to developer Stanley Martin for further adjustments. At the suggestion of Commissioner Austin Haynes, who represents the Coles District, the planning commission will take the matter up again on Wednesday, Oct. 2. In the meantime, Haynes advised the developer to reduce by about one-third the 190 condominiums – or “stacked townhomes” – proposed for the site. The plan also called for 84 townhomes and 38 single-family homes. Haynes also asked the developer to work directly with members of the Mid-County Civic Association to hammer out such changes, something the developer declined to do in recent in months. See KLINE, page 4

‘Lights for Liberty’ rally protests unjust treatment of migrants PHOTO BY DELIA ENGSTROM

Keeping kids “in detention camps is an obviously horrific situation,” said Aaron Cox-Leow, center, of Centreville. “Everybody needs to be out here until it stops.” For full coverage, see Page 4

INSIDE Calendar.............................................10 Classifieds...........................................13 HS Valedictorians & Salutatorians........6

An aerial view of the Kline Farm property.

Obituaries...........................................12 Opinion.................................................7 Real Estate..........................................11 Sports...................................................9

By Jill Palermo

Times Staff Writer

86 WARRENTON, VA


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