2023 Candidate Profile: Buta Biberaj For Commonwealth's Attorney

LOUDOUN COUNTY, VA — Commonwealth's Attorney Buta Biberaj is running for reelection in November's general election.

Biberaj is being challenged by Republican Bob Anderson.

Patch sent the following questionnaire to Anderson and Biberaj to help voters make informed choices when they mark their ballot on Election Day.

Name

Buta Biberaj

Age (as of Election Day)?

59

Town of Residence?

Aldie

Position sought:

Commonwealth's Attorney for Loudoun County

Party affiliation

Democrat

Family? Names, ages and any other pertinent details you wish to share

N/A

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

No.

Education Level

Juris Doctorate in Law

Occupation, including employer and years of experience

Lawyer since 1993 (30 years)

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office

Currently serving as Commonwealth's Attorney for Loudoun County

Campaign website

www.BiberajforLoudoun.com

Why are you seeking elective office?

To ensure that our community is kept safe and that the legal system is just for all.

The single most pressing issue facing our (board, district, etc.) is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.

The single most pressing issue facing our county is the insufficiency of safe gun laws. I will work with the legislature to pass a ban on assault rifles, gun lock laws, and background checks. Further, I will continue to work with law enforcement to educate our community and enforce the Red Flag law which permits an individual to temporarily transfer their firearms to a person of their choice or law enforcement during periods of mental health crisis, so they don't harm themselves or others.

How do you think local officials performed in responding to recent issues (i.e. the pandemic)? What if anything would you have done differently?

Loudoun County did a superb job in addressing the needs of the court and the Office of the Commonwealth's Attorney by providing remote access to hearings, documents and departments. There is nothing that I would have done differently to secure the health and safety of the employees as it was all done correctly by the county.

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

I am a visionary. I see the needs of our community to be both safety and justice. My focus is to prevent crime (through education), protect our community (through services), and focus prosecutions on violent offenses so that victims are not retraumatized by the process.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform.

Increased services for our victim survivors; enhance our specialty dockets (Drug Court, Mental Health Treatment Court, and the Veterans Treatment Court) so that we are able to provide services to those who are drug addicted and / or have mental health issues; and, modernize the Office of the Commonwealth's Attorney by digitizing files for permanent safekeeping.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

Since 2020, violent crime fell by 31% and the daily jail population decreased by over 44%. I was able to create policies that addressed the needs of the victim survivors so that the harm caused to them was not further aggravated by the court process. We added victim and witness case managers to assist them with obtaining restitution, medical and counseling services, and safe housing. After the police charged a Veteran with multiple felonies for stealing food, I worked with our community stakeholders to develop the Veterans Treatment Court so that we help court involved Veterans get the services they deserve to be safe and lawful.

The best advice ever shared with me was:

Everyone is someone's somebody - so treat them as if they were your somebody.

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

Since 2020, I changed the culture in the office and made it one of the most diverse departments in the county. The diversity is both in demographics as well as professional and personal experiences. The Office of the Commonwealth's Attorney looks like and is representative of the diversity of the County. Our focus on smart prosecution helps keep our community safe because we are able to invest in solutions that heal those who become court involved - both the victim survivors and the accused. Interrupting harm, helps reduce future crime. As is known, hurt people, hurt people. Thus, investing in services strengthens our community and makes us more stable and safer.