THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, September 15, 1996 TAG: 9609130197
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 06 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Letters
LENGTH: 69 lines
Prosecutors deserve praise for job well done
A heartfelt measure of congratulations is in order for Commonwealth's Attorney Bob Humphreys and his chief deputy, Albert Alberi, for their back-to-back convictions of Billy Joe Brown and Dustin Turner in the abduction and murder trial of Georgia college student Jennifer Evans.
As a former prosecutor, I especially appreciate the legal complexities in obtaining a conviction in these kinds of cases which involve numerous inconsistent statements and differing expert interpretations of forensic evidence. As dedicated public servants, Mr. Humphreys and Mr. Alberi spent a tremendous amount of time applying their considerable legal talents in preparing for and prosecuting these cases.
While we have good criminal laws in Virginia to protect the citizenry, without diligent and skilled legal counsel to ensure that these laws are enforced, the system does not work.
The outstanding work of these career prosecutors is especially noteworthy in light of the unfair criticism that has been leveled at them in the recent past.
Mr. Humphreys has been inappropriately criticized by some for following the grand jury report in pursuing malfeasance charges against members of the School Board, when he could not possibly have disregarded the recommendations of the citizens of the city.
Even more unjust has been the misrepresentations regarding Mr. Alberi in his recent pursuit of a judgeship in Virginia Beach. It was mistakenly reported that he was found to be not qualified by the Virginia Beach Bar Association based on factors such as judicial integrity and legal skill. This factually incorrect report was repeated in several news accounts earlier this year, and was contradicted by the fact that both houses of the General Assembly found Mr. Alberi fully qualified to be a judge of a court in this state.
The fact that Virginia Beach has the lowest crime rate of any city of its size in the entire country is in no small measure due to the outstanding work of prosecutors Bob Humphreys and Al Alberi. Their dedicated service to this city should be appreciated and properly acknowledged by the public and the press.
Robert F. McDonnell
Member, House of Delegates
Sept. 11 Council should OK senior development I encourage members of the Virginia Beach City Council to vote favorably for future development that supports senior adult communities such as that outlined in Karen Weintraub's Aug. 11 article in The Virginian-Pilot concerning multi-unit housing, golf cart trails, etc. The idea of Granny Suites and Granny Bungalows without school facilities sounds like an excellent idea for a resort city such as Virginia Beach.
I grew up in Princess Anne County in the 1940s and early '50s and would like to return to the area in the near future. But the area is not user friendly for seniors because of crowded conditions.
Restricting development to above your so-called ``green line'' has made conditions worse for seniors and forced heavy utilization on all public facilities (utilities, schools, local streets, etc.).
City Council members have an opportunity to work with a quality developer and reduce the impact on their constituents.
The city's Comprehensive Plan surely identified deficiencies in move-up and senior housing. Growth is coming to the so-called exurbs (which are simply suburbs outside of the suburbs), and this proposed project appears to be in the right place at the right time.
Leon Holland
Fairfax, Va.
Sept. 9 by CNB