Ebert touts experience, first-time achievements in Commonwealth Attorney reelection bid

Paul Ebert is running to keep his job as Prince William County Commonwealth Attorney. It’s a job that he has held since 1968, making him the longest-serving and most experienced top prosecutors in Virginia. 

Ebert’s opponent is Micheal C. May, who currently serves on the Prince William County Board of Supervisors. 

Potomac Local sent a questionnaire to Ebert and he sent us the responses below: 

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PL: What are the top three major issues facing the district you wish to represent?

Ebert: As it pertains to the Commonwealth’s Attorney, a major issue facing the citizens of Prince William County and the Cities of Manassas and Manassas Park is always a safe community in which to live, work and raise our families. Due to ever evolving technological advances, we must remain vigilant in protecting citizens from cyber-crimes. This takes training, expertise and experience to know how to prosecute complex computer-generated based crimes. Crimes involving the elderly present unique challenges as these victims are vulnerable and abuse may go undetected due to ailing health.

PL: What concrete solutions do you propose to address these issues?

Ebert: I will continue to provide effective and fair prosecution of criminals and defend the rights of their victims. I and my Assistants have the experience and judgement to determine the merits of a case as well as how best to present the case before a judge or jury in order to obtain a just result. As crime evolves, so must the prosecution of crime, and during my tenure, innovative “firsts” have been achieved in many areas.

Some of these include: • First cold hit DNA prosecution • First prosecution under terrorism statute • First to get a first degree murder conviction for a child who was shaken. • First to use Animal DNA in a case of felony animal abuse. • First to add a therapy dog to help child victims feel more comfortable in court. • First to prosecute a fraudulent expert witness in a murder case for perjury even though he had been qualified to testify in seven other states. • As a result of that prosecution, first to start an Expert Witness Database. Now the state has taken it over. • First to have multiple assistants receive the prestigious Von Schuch Award for outstanding prosecution and service to our county, the Commonwealth and community. Still the only office to have three assistants currently serving who have received that award.

PL: From your prospective, what is the job description of the office you’re seeking?

Ebert: The role of the Commonwealth’s Attorney and the Assistants is to do justice. They must do what is fair and what is just depending on the specific circumstances of each individual case. In making this determination, the prosecutor must look at a number of factors.

These include the facts of the crime itself, injuries to a victim, credibility of witnesses, statements made by the accused and any witnesses, the criminal history of the accused, and the impact the conviction and sentencing will have on everyone involved, including the accused. A prosecutor must determine which circumstances mandate harsh treatment and which call for leniency in any particular case.

In order to make these determinations, it is necessary to have perspective and experience. The Prince William County Commonwealth’s Attorney is the highest law enforcement official in Prince William County. The Commonwealth’s Attorney position is above that of the Chief of Police.

The Prince William County Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office prosecutes everything from petty crimes, including Trespass, Petit Larceny, and Reckless Driving, to the worst and most violent crimes, including Robbery, Rape, and Murder. They prosecute in the Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court, the General District Court, and the Circuit Court in front of both judges and juries.

PL: What expertise will you bring to the office?

Ebert: I have dedicated my entire career to serving as the People’s Attorney in Prince William County and the Cities of Manassas and Manassas Park. I first started as an Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney where I gained the needed experience to later become the chief prosecutor.

The field of criminal prosecution has become very specialized and complex, especially in today’s time. I have transformed this office into one of the most widely respected and effective in the nation. When a state senator was charged with embezzling funds from a youth civic organization in Chesterfield County, local officials disqualified themselves and asked me to prosecute the case. The senator was convicted.

When a former circuit court judge in Norfolk was charged with pistol-whipping a member of the Virginia House of Delegates, local officials disqualified themselves and asked me to prosecute the case. The former judge was convicted.

When two domestic terrorists left a trail of bodies from coast to coast and for weeks terrorized an entire region of the U.S., U.S. Attorney John Ashcroft asked me to prosecute the case. John Allen Muhammad was convicted and sentenced to death.

There are many ‘firsts’ that have taken place under my watch. My record speaks for itself.

As the Commonwealth’s Attorney, I guide and advise the staff, and prosecute cases. I am nationally recognized for prosecuting some of the most complex and horrible crimes. This is not an on-the-job training kind of position. The People need to have someone with the expertise, knowledge, and experience who can handle the complexity of this job.  

PL: Do you feel that the average citizen is well-informed and understands the workings of local government? If not, how do you intend on improving communication with your constituency?

Ebert: As it pertains to the Commonwealth’s Attorney, I have always had an “open door” policy in order to communicate with our citizens. I am out in the community every day and interact with individuals and groups. Within the bounds of legal ethics and the preservation of victim and witness safety, I will continue to do so.

In addition to my work in the community, my assistants serve as faculty at NVCC and GMU and volunteer to advise other colleges about criminal justice curriculum. They teach kids dance, work with 4 H, volunteer to do Wills for Heroes, work with the homeless, volunteer at animal shelters, lecture to judges, doctors, social workers , nurses, sexual assault and domestic violence counselor and publish articles on all topics in criminal law.

Our office has a member serving with the Division of Forensic Science who recently received the most prestigious “lifetime accomplishment award”, and also serves on the Boyd Graves Conference Committee to review and publish the Rules of Evidence in Virginia, among many other law enforcement organizations.

We are active with many community groups and often talk about topics concerning safety. My office worked with the Sheriff’s office to bring Rape Aggression Defense to the community by hosting it at the courthouse. We serve on many advisory boards including Shaken Baby Prevention. Inc, National Animal Cruelty Advisory Board, Legal Advisor to Virginia Police Canine Association.

PL: Have you ever made any mistakes in your public life? How have they effected you?

Ebert: An old saying in the law is ‘If you are not making mistakes you are not trying cases”. When you try thousands of cases, things are not always going to go your way, and you sometimes reflect on whether you should have done something differently.

Litigation is the most stressful area of criminal law. You are often required to make decisions under pressure and hindsight is always 20/20.

Like everyone, I have made mistakes, but never one I didn’t learn from and correct. This has played a large part in shaping my judgment over the years – the kind of judgment that only comes from experience and integrity, two of the attributes which I believe are critically important in this election.

My experience, unparalleled in Virginia history, began when I started my career as an Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney and has continued to grow every day that I have had the honor of serving the citizens of this jurisdiction as their Commonwealth’s Attorney.

That experience has allowed me to oversee one of the largest prosecutor’s offices in the state through extensive growth and change. But one thing has never changed: my commitment to keeping this community safe. But prosecuting is also about using your judgment to recognize when others have made mistakes and to know when they deserve a break.

There is no way to create a “formula” to prosecute criminal cases; it takes experience and judgment to know when and how someone deserves another shot. I do not make the same mistake twice and do not tolerate others doing so. But except where someone has intentionally hurt someone else, I have always been willing to consider giving people a second chance.

And I have instilled that principle in all of my Assistants, nearly a dozen of whom have gone on to become very fair judges on all levels of court, including the Virginia Supreme Court. It is also why my office and I are known throughout the state and nation as one of the toughest but fairest prosecutor’s offices – the type of Commonwealth’s Attorney that the citizens of Prince William County and the cities of Manassas and Manassas Park deserve.

PL: Our readers want leaders in local government. Why should they vote for you? 

Ebert: I am a proven leader. Working together with the excellent police departments we have, families have been kept safe. Criminals have been prosecuted. I am blessed that many have come out to support me during this campaign, including the Prince William Police Association, and Virginia Benevolent Police Association, many community leaders and elected officials, as well as many other Commonwealth’s Attorneys. With great humility and appreciation, I believe it’s because I have earned their respect and they know that I can get the job done. I am not a politician, I am a career prosecutor. That is what is needed in this office.