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Buta Biberaj recall, Loudoun County, Virginia (2021-2023)
| Loudoun County Commonwealth's Attorney recall |
|---|
 |
| Officeholders |
| Recall status |
| Signature requirement |
| See also |
| Recall overview Political recall efforts, 2023 Recalls in Virginia Virginia recall laws County official recalls Recall reports |
An effort to recall Buta Biberaj (D) from her position as the commonwealth's attorney of Loudoun County, Virginia, began in August 2021.[1] According to the office's website, "The primary function of the office is to investigate and prosecute felony, misdemeanor, traffic, and juvenile criminal cases in concert with local and federal law enforcement agencies, as well as complaints from private citizens."[2]
Biberaj was elected to the position in 2019.[1] She won election with 51.2% of the vote, defeating Republican Maria Nicole Wittmann.[3]
The same group that started the recall effort against Biberaj also started recall efforts against the commonwealth's attorneys in Fairfax County and Arlington County.[1]
Recall supporters
The recall was started by Virginians for Safe Communities, a 501(c)(4) organization. “We are launching this campaign to hold accountable the prosecutors who have taken office under a writ of reform but have gone too far,” Sean Kennedy, a board member of the organization, said. “They are continuing to flout the rule of law, failing to enforce the law and are endangering our families and communities.”[1]
Kennedy said that Biberaj had failed crime victims by not pursuing some misdemeanor cases. He also said the turnover in her office was too high.[1]
Recall opponents
In response to the recall effort, Biberaj said she was delivering on her campaign promises. "Our office is more diverse (in practices, experiences and demographics) than ever; we have built a victim centric policy and practice; we have increased the services directed at victims of sexual assault and domestic violence; and we have reduced the rate of incarceration for persons who do not present a safety risk to our community — providing millions of dollars in savings to our county," Biberaj said.[1]
Path to the ballot
- See also: Laws governing recall in Virginia
To get the recall on the ballot, recall supporters had to collect signatures equal to 10% of the people who voted in the last commonwealth's attorney election, a total of approximately 11,500. If enough signatures had been collected, the recall would have been sent to a circuit court judge. If a judge ruled in favor of the recall, Biberaj would have been removed from office, and a special election would have been held to elect her replacement.[1]
Related recalls
- Steve Descano recall, Fairfax County, Virginia (2021)
- Parisa Dehghani-Tafti recall, Arlington County, Virginia (2021)
See also
- Recall campaigns in Virginia
- Political recall efforts, 2021
- Political recall efforts, 2022
- Political recall efforts, 2023
- County official recalls
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 The Washington Post, "Group launches effort to recall liberal prosecutors in Northern Virginia," August 2, 2021
- ↑ Loudoun County Commonwealth's Attorney, "About the Office," accessed August 5, 2021
- ↑ Virginia Department of Elections, "Historical Elections Database: 2019 Commonwealth's Attorney," accessed August 5, 2021
