City of Falls Church CRIME REPORT

Week of June 5 - 11, 2023

Driving Under the Influence, Kent St, June 5, 11:40 PM, a male, 37, of Alexandria, VA, was arrested for Driving Under the Influence and Refusal.

Larceny of Vehicle Parts, Berry St, June 10, 1:30 AM, unknown suspect(s) resume would be beneficial to Mr. Allen. removed the driver’s side mirrors from three vehicles.

Andres Jimenez has amassed many endorsements. Jimenez has picked up some flak for his absences as an At-Large member of the Planning Commission, which pays a $23,000 annual stipend. Missing an evening meeting for work or family reasons can be explained, but Jimenez has missed nearly 30 percent of commission meetings in 2023.

Steve Lee owns several commercial properties in Annandale, and has been active with A Taste of Annandale. He recently moved from Vienna back to his childhood home in Annandale to run. Curiously, in a candidate forum, he criticized the raise that applies to the next Board, but he did not say whether he would return the increase if elected.

Lake Barcroft resident Reid Voss, who’s knocked on more than 7000 doors since December, grew up in Sunset Manor, was the student member of the School Board in 1999, and became a Democrat during the Obama era. He has faced the party switch head-on, but his earlier GOP activities have raised questions.

Any candidate elected to the Board of Supervisors will learn that it’s a full-time job, and that much of life is showing up – it’s not discretionary! Winning the Democratic primary is only the first step. The winner of the November election will represent all Mason District constituents — Democrats, Republicans, and independents. Party identification has little bearing on good constituent service.

 Penny Gross is the Mason District Supervisor, in the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors. She may be emailed at mason@fairfaxcounty.gov.

Larceny of Vehicle Parts, Cleave Dr, between 11 PM, June 9, and 7:45 AM, June 10, unknown suspect(s) removed the side mirrors from a vehicle.

Trespass, Wilson Blvd, June 11, 8:25 PM, a male, 53, of Alexandria, VA, was issued a summons for Trespass.

Delegate Marcus Simon’s Richmond Report

When news of the indictment of Donald Trump broke, Virginia’s Governor Glenn Youngkin issued a tweet in which he decried the emergence of a “two-tiered justice system where some are selectively prosecuted” implying that the charges against Trump were politically motivated.

Youngkin couldn’t be more wrong about the nature of the charges against the former President. It is certainly plain to see now that the charges are based on meticulously researched, thoroughly documented evidence that all serious-minded legal experts agree put Trump in great peril.

If the Governor is genuinely concerned about a two-tiered justice system, he ought to look in the mirror, preferably while he’s standing next to his Attorney General and fellow extremist, Jason Miyares.

We have witnessed Attorney General Jason Miyares initiate investigations into two school districts in northern Virginia with duly elected school boards dominated by members endorsed by Democrats: Loudoun County Public Schools (LCPS) and Fairfax County Public School (FCPS). These so-called investigations were in response to issues raised by conservative activists and amplified by far-right media outlets.

In late December, criticism of the school system’s handling of National Merit Scholarship commendations arose following an article written by a co-founder of the Coalition for TJ, claiming that Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology (TJ) intentionally delayed notifying commended students until after the early college application deadline, suggesting it was part of a “war on merit.”

The Coalition for TJ currently has an ongoing lawsuit against FCPS concerning revisions to the magnet school’s admissions policies.

FCPS commissioned an independent investigation conducted by the law firm Sands Anderson that found no basis for the claims that notices of National Merit Scholarship commendations were intentionally withheld. The review confirmed that eight schools within FCPS did not notify students designated as “commended” however the investigation concluded that there was no evidence of intentional withholding or any policy decision by FCPS or the individual schools involved.

Superintendent Michelle Reid emphasized that there was no evidence to suggest deliberate withholding of notification or any inequity or racial bias in the actions taken by the schools regarding notifications or distribution of certificates.

The story is in the headlines again as the schools pour resources into attorney’s fees to defend against a subpoena of the Sands Anderson report to protect the privacy and safety of those teachers and administrators who cooperated with the independent investigation.

My primary concern lies with the detrimental impact these attacks will have on our children’s education. They create obstacles for our schools to attract and retain highly qualified teachers and hinder their ability to provide a top-notch education.

Youngkin and Miyares should redirect their focus toward real issues that demand attention, such as ensuring the safety of our communities from gun violence. Or maybe even just getting the Virginia Department of Education to review and renew teacher licenses in a timely manner.

It is imperative that Republicans refrain from wielding their power to launch baseless assaults on elected school boards and our hard-working school administrators for their own personal political gain.

Now is the time for us to come together as a united community and rally behind our schools. We must guarantee that every child has access to a first-rate education.

But, just as with Trump’s unsealed indictment, the truth has come out about the real two-tiered justice system we have in Virginia. In almost every jurisdiction you don’t have to look far to find disproportionality in the exercise of prosecutorial discretion in bringing charges, seeking jail time and use of cash bail.

I’ll continue to support the good work begun by our progressive prosecutors to address that problem. The same prosecutors, like Falls Church’s own Parisa Deghani-Tafti who have been attacked by Youngkin and Miyares for doing the real work of criminal justice reform so that we have one system of justice regardless of race, income or zip code.

CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM