News

Turning up the heat: Albemarle Commonwealth’s Attorney Robert Tracci faces a progressive challenger with deep pockets

Political races in Albemarle County are usually pretty staid compared to Charlottesville’s—except for the commonwealth’s attorney race. Prosecutors Jim Camblos (in 2007) and Denise Lunsford (in 2015) were both ousted after controversial, high-profile cases. And 2019 has promised to be another closely watched contest—even before incumbent Robert Tracci’s opponent received an unheard-of $50,000 donation. Republican […]

Lisa Provence | October 2, 2019

Opinion

Burning questions: Why hasn’t the county prosecuted the torch marchers?

What kind of message does failing to prosecute white supremacists send? By Anne Coughlin To mark the anniversary of the Unite the Right rally, commentators took stock of the successful prosecutions of white supremacists who committed violence and spread hatred in Charlottesville. Such prosecutions are a measure of law enforcement’s commitment to punishing violent offenders, […]

C-VILLE Writers | September 11, 2019

News

Not guilty: Trash truck driver acquitted in fatal train crash

Garbage truck driver Dana Naylor was found not guilty for his involvement in a crash that made headlines last year, when an Amtrak train carrying GOP congressmen smashed into his truck in Crozet. The crash killed Naylor’s friend and coworker, Christopher Foley, who was one of two passengers. The other, Dennis Eddy, was severely injured. […]

Samantha Baars | February 28, 2019

News

Trash truck driver fights DUI charge

First he was hit by a train. Now his attorney is attempting to prove that he was also hit with a bogus DUI charge. Dana Naylor, the driver of the garbage truck that was hit by an Amtrak train in Crozet last year, was in court January 22 to dispute evidence being used against him. […]

Samantha Baars | January 29, 2019

News

Hingeley runs: Veteran defender wants prosecutor job

Dozens of people, many from the legal community, braved the chill January 23 to stand in front of Albemarle Circuit Court, where Jim Hingeley, founder of the Charlottesville Albemarle Public Defender Office, announced his campaign for Albemarle commonwealth’s attorney. “It’s time for criminal justice reform in Albemarle County,” said Hingeley, 71. He said he wants […]

Lisa Provence | January 23, 2019

News

Prosecutors pump the brakes on suspended license cases

A lawsuit to help prevent those unable to pay court fines from spiraling into further debt and prosecution got a significant boost last week. Charlottesville Commonwealth’s Attorney Joe Platania announced January 4 that he will no longer prosecute people charged with driving on a license that was suspended solely for failure to pay court costs […]

Samantha Baars | January 9, 2019

News

Overflow meeting: ICE calls continue

After months of thousands of community members urging the authority board at the Albemarle-Charlottesville Regional Jail to stop voluntarily reporting the release dates of undocumented immigrants to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the board held a special meeting September 13 to take a revote on that policy. At the local jail, and every jail in […]

Samantha Baars | September 19, 2018

News

Activists arrested: Violence erupts outside Albemarle school board meeting

Public meetings held by elected officials in Charlottesville no longer go uninterrupted. But last night’s Albemarle County School Board meeting in which six people were arrested and one was hospitalized was a meeting of a different breed. For about a year, the Hate-Free Schools Coalition of Albemarle County has pressured the school board to reexamine […]

Samantha Baars | August 31, 2018

News

Booze bracelet: Cantwell’s public intoxication charge violates terms of bond

“Drunk,” “loaded” and “liquored up” were all words used in Albemarle County Circuit Court to describe the state of “Crying Nazi” Chris Cantwell during his Loudoun County arrest last month that nearly landed the self-proclaimed racist back in the Albemarle-Charlottesville Regional Jail. At an April 25 hearing, Commonwealth’s Attorney Robert Tracci said good behavior was […]

Samantha Baars | May 1, 2018

News

Tracci’s motion: Asks judge to vacate Kessler dismissal

Two weeks ago a judge dismissed a perjury charge against whites-righter Jason Kessler because the prosecution didn’t establish that the alleged crime took place in Albemarle. Legal pundits decried the misstep as a rookie move. Commonwealth’s Attorney Robert Tracci filed a motion to vacate that decision April 3, claiming that Judge Cheryl Higgins erred twice […]

Lisa Provence | April 4, 2018