2023 Candidate Profile: Amy Ashworth For Commonwealth's Attorney

PRINCE WILLIAM COUNTY, VA — Amy Ashworth was elected as Prince William County's Commonwealth's Attorney in 2019. This year, she is running for reelection.

Ashworth is running against Republican challenger Matt Lowery.

Patch asked Lowery and Ashworth to fill out the following questionnaire to share with voters before November's election.

Name

Amy Ashworth

Town of residence

Prince William County

Party affiliation

Democrat

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

Spouse and two children ages 19 and 17.

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

Self.

Education Level

Juris Doctor, George Mason University, 1995; B.B.A., James Madison University, 1992

Occupation, including employer and years of experience

Commonwealth’s Attorney for Prince William County and the Cities of Manassas and Manassas Park, 2020 to present.

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office

Prosecutor for the City of Manassas Park, 1997-2005; Prosecutor for the Town of Haymarket 2004-2005; Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney 2005-2016, assigned to the Special Victims Unit in 2007

Campaign website

www.voteashworth.com

Why are you seeking elective office?

Growing up the youngest of five children, I learned at an early age to stand up for myself and fight for justice. I have spent my entire 28 year legal career in Prince William County doing just that. I have come into the Judicial Center every day over those 28 years to fight for my client whether it was a defendant, a family law client, an abused child, or for the people of Prince William County and the Cities of Manassas and Manassas Park as a prosecutor. There is nothing better than arguing a case successfully on behalf of someone that had been denied justice. That has always been my passion. The job of a prosecutor is to keep our community safe by holding those that break the law accountable and do so in a fair and ethical manner. I take this responsibility very seriously, as do the prosecutors that work in my office. Since taking office three years ago, I’ve improved the administration of justice in many ways and look forward to continuing our mission of fair and just prosecution.

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

My role as the elected Commonwealth’s Attorney is to oversee an office that handles the prosecution of criminal cases brought by the police. My office is the last stop in the criminal justice system. When I took over the office, we had only 28 prosecutors. Over the past three years, I have been able to increase the number of prosecutors to 41. I have used these additional resources to focus on holding violent offenders accountable, targeting cases involving human trafficking, gangs, and large scale drug dealing. However, a 2023 timestudy done by the National Center for State Courts funded by the Virginia General Assembly found that our office should have 49 prosecutors. I intend to work with the Board of County Supervisors to continue to expand the office so that we can handle the daily workload and prosecution of criminal cases.

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

Although the COVID-19 pandemic temporarily shut down the court system, we were able to quickly adapt and get the necessary systems up and running successfully. A more transformative event occurred in the Spring of 2020 following the murder of George Floyd. The entire country saw an unprecedented shift in how the public viewed law enforcement and the criminal justice system. This shift not only brought about reform legislation that fundamentally changed the way law-enforcement engages in their duties, but it changed the entire system to reflect a fairer and more balanced approach, taking away many of the advantages previously given to the Commonwealth. Despite these changes, my office has continued to vigorously fight for justice for the victims of crime and to hold offenders accountable to keep our community safe while working with our law enforcement partners to ensure compliance with the new laws.

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

Having worked in this office for 11 years, I saw the critical need for true leadership, dedicated to making the office more efficient and more effective for the benefit of this community. I took on the established incumbent in this office because change was long overdue. Since becoming the Commonwealth’s, Attorney, I advocated for the creation of a Child Advocacy Center to help victims navigate the difficulties of sexual trauma. I established a domestic violence unit that not only takes on the challenge of prosecuting serious cases, but started an early diversion program that won a statewide award in 2022. I have hired attorneys and staff that speak eight different languages and that look like the community we represent. I have put women in leadership roles like never before and actually pay them the same as men, which had not happened previously. My opponent worked in the same office and did nothing to improve or change the status quo and now wants us to return to the ways of the past.

If you are a challenger, in what way has the current board or officeholder failed the community (or district or constituency)?

I bring integrity, honesty, and sound judgment to this office. A prosecutor must rely solely on facts, the truth, and reality. My opponent blindly criticizes policies that don’t exist. His careless attention to facts and willingness to shade the truth to score political points should terrify people.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform.

In my next term, I would like to see us expand diversion programs that target first offenders and non-violent offenders. Diversion programs hold people accountable for their actions while at the same time address the root causes that brought them into the criminal justice system and seek to prevent that from happening again. Diversion programs also save taxpayers money and ease the burden on our police officers and our court system. I am also excited to partner with the County’s new Criminal Justice Safety Initiative program, which is entirely focused on addressing the causes of crime in our community and stopping crime before it happens.

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

My accomplishments include overseeing the greatest expansion of this office in a century from 28 prosecutors to 41. I was instrumental in the start of the first adult drug court in Prince William County. I have expanded the veterans docket to address the mental health concerns for those that have served in the military, and upon their return, find themselves involved in the criminal justice system. I have expanded the mental health docket so we can keep the community safe and get people the treatment that they need. Additionally, I have created an entire unit that focuses on juveniles who come into the criminal justice system that not only looks to hold juveniles accountable, but also looks at what we can do to make sure they continue on the right path.

The best advice ever shared with me was:

Always give more than you expect to receive.

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

Every prosecutor in this office is passionate about fighting for justice and for the victims of crime and their families. No one wants to be the victim of a crime, and often there is nothing we or anybody can do to take away the pain and trauma they have suffered. Everyone in my office is committed to treating victims with respect and kindness, and to do the best job that we can to seek justice for them. Although this is a political campaign and my opponent and I run as political candidates, the job itself is not political. On my staff I have Republicans, Democrats, independents, and some who don’t even know or care what they are. All of the prosecutors and staff that work for me care about the same mission, DOING JUSTICE. I’m proud of the office I’ve created and I’m proud of our accomplishments. I invite constituents to look at my website and do their homework and not just rely on uninformed opinions or unsubstantiated facts.

See also:

• 2023 Candidate Profile: Matt Lowery For Commonwealth's Attorney