Criminal Justice & Public Safety Division

The Criminal Justice and Public Safety Division is staffed by appellate and trial attorneys who practice in both state and federal courts representing the Commonwealth’s interest in criminal justice and public safety matters. Criminally, these attorneys handle cases pursuant to the Attorney General’s original criminal jurisdiction; when original jurisdiction is provided by law; pursuant to concurrent criminal jurisdiction with Commonwealth’s Attorneys, when concurrent criminal jurisdiction is provided by law; on appeal; and pursuant to requests for assistance from local prosecutors and offers of assistance to local prosecutors. The Division also works cooperatively with the U. S. Attorney’s Office in federal districts in Virginia, and prosecutors in the division appear in federal court as Special Assistant United States Attorneys (SAUSAs). The Division consists of six teams of lawyers and subject matter experts in the areas of Electronic Crimes (“eCrimes”), Correctional Litigation, Criminal Appeals, Major Crimes and Emerging Threats, Health Care Fraud and Elder Abuse and Sexually Violent Predators.

Attorney General prosecutors are experienced trial attorneys with a strong track record in both state and federal court. This agency is expert in prosecuting major violent crimes such as murder, child pornography and other internet crimes involving children, sexual predators, public corruption and Medicaid fraud, and in handling complex correctional litigation.

Sections   Criminal Appeals   Health Care Fraud & Elder Abuse   Major Crimes & Emerging Threats   Correctional Litigation   Computer Crimes   Sexually Violent Predators Civil Commitment

Deputy Attorney General: Criminal Justice & Public Safety Division Bio Victoria Pearson currently serves as the Deputy Attorney General to the Criminal Justice and Public Safety Division at the Office of the Attorney General. Prior to her appointment in 2017, she served as General Counsel and Executive Adviser to the Chief of Police for the Richmond Police Department. With more than 19 years of experience in the legal field, she was a prosecutor in the Richmond Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office, client services director for the Legal Information Network for Cancer (LINC), a clerk for the Washington, D.C., Court of Appeals and the County Attorney’s Office for Albemarle County, Va., and established a law practice in Charlotte, N.C.  Currently, she serves on the Mandatory Continuing Legal Education Board for the Virginia State Bar and has also been appointed to serve on the Disciplinary Board beginning in July 2017. She earned her B.A. at North Carolina Central University and her J.D at the University of Virginia School of Law.