Josh Katcher just became Commonwealth’s Attorney in Arlington

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:She wanted him charged as an adult, which isn’t unusual for vehicular homicide defendants two months shy of 18. Parisa refused, and now the wealthy spoiled killer will be a free man when he’s 19 and eventually have the conviction expunged from his record.

Thank you. Has Josh said publicly anywhere that he would have charged the criminal as an adult?

Actually, the opposite. He is on record saying he would have done the same thing.

But unlike the occupant, Josh would have WON that three-year sentence. Why? Because the judge LIKES Josh.

This is a really bizarre claim on which to hinge a campaign. One of the most outlandish things I have read in a while.

It’s not bizarre. Parisa has an off-putting personality - rigid, strident, comes across as condescending etc. People outside the courthouse weren’t aware of it until the Kehoe/Meade family spoke out. I think that’s at the root of the ad - Parisa didn’t listen, didn’t convey that she cared about the loss of Braylon, and then didn’t even bother to show up for sentencing. Josh has a much stronger reputation among his peers and judges and that matters to me.

How did this supposed off-putting personality affect the sentencing if Parisa wasn't at the sentencing?

You clearly don't understand. If only Parisa was less rigid, less strident, and more sympathetic, she'd have swayed a judge into deviating from the usual policy for accidents involving minors and punishing another juvenile far more harshly. Or maybe the judge would have stepped aside entirely and left it up to Rose Kehoe to impose the sentence. Isn't that obvious?

Or perhaps she could have focused some of her energy on victim compassion. Instead of expressing concern for the defendant’s future to the family of the child they killed. That is basic knowing your audience. And I have no idea if she shows up to other sentencing, but how many minors are killed due to crime in Arlington and FCC? It seems like when a teen dies, this would be a time for the elected Commonwealth’s Attorney to show up.

Instead her entire campaign is basically how she can make the criminal justice system work better for … people accused of crimes. And I’m not saying there aren’t areas for improvement. Drug courts and diversion programs are great for non-violent offenders and people who aren’t engaging in risky activities like repeat DUI, carjacking, etc.

Campaigns are about choices. Instead of running an ad where Josh talked about how he would be tougher on crime that his opponent, he ran this terrible ad that tells us nothing useful and instead comes across as shamelessly seizing on a tragedy. On his website, there is one other ad where he promises "real reform," whatever that means. So everything you wrote sounds great, but it's not the message that Josh focused his campaign on. We really have no clue how he would differ from his opponent in any concrete, specific way.

[Anonymous]

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Paris is stuck trying to explain why the judge wouldn’t follow her recommendation for a heavier sentence and why she wouldn’t pander to the victim’s family. And when you’re explaining, you’re losing.

Checkmate !!!

While I agree with you I don’t think he’s going to win. The past month I have been inundated with campaign literature from Parisa’s office saying that Josh is endorsed by republicans and calling him the republican candidate. Arlington voters are going to see this and vote for Parisa. Most people don’t know the details of what happened with the case in the clip you shared. They will see Katcher and assume republican and vote for him. Also Parisa’s campaign is clearly better funded.

I think Josh can shape the primary electorate and pull this out. His people show up. They don’t have to worry about getting time off to go vote or worrying about passing a cruiser at the polling entrance. Josh has some of the best allies you could want in a turnout election like this, and between getting his people out and challenging Parisa’s potential voters I think he’ll pull this out.

This seems like wishful thinking.

Parisa has strong support among traditional Arlington liberals - and among the bulk of the local politicians whose views count among Arlington residents.

Josh has totally tied his campaign now to Rose Kehoe's vengeance tour. People have enormous sympathy for her loss but many also have juveniles of their own whom they might prefer not be treated as adults if and when they ever do something incredibly stupid and even harmful.

And there is nothing to like about him personally, either. He is the most transparently ambitious and self-serving young politician on the local scene, and that's no small feat to pull off in Arlington.

Josh did everything you’re supposed to do in building his career as a prosecutor. He assessed how strong his opponent’s lawyer/s were. He took APD’s arrests and harvested convictions and pleas. He backed the Blue and knew how to have fun with them. He carefully cultivated connections in the political and prosecutorial worlds. He registered his website domain while serving under Theo so that he’d be ready whenever she retired. And then this ACLU card-carrying interloper sashayed her way into office on the back of George Soros and riding the unfortunate overreaction to the George Floyd thing.

So now he’s got a new boss and voters who stupidly threw away the security they have enjoyed all these years. As if it comes by magic rather than knocking heads together and not letting technicalities get in the way of safety. It’s a joke that woman is the CA, and he tried to make it work, but she just kept throwing away all the advantages that keep undesirables locked up. So he had to move forward, fortunately having healthy seed money plus his website set to go after her hard. The silent Arlingtonians are rising up. She’s done.

Honey you're complaining that we should feel sorry for him because his former boss whom he loved so much was so unpopular that she lost re-election? This is such an entitled opinion. Nobody is entitled to be Commonwealth's Attorney. They have to earn the people's vote through good policies, and Katcher hasn't earned my vote. He's indicated in so many ways that he's going to return to the days of Theo.

Also, Parisa was elected before George Floyd was killed. Just shows how little you know about any of this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:She wanted him charged as an adult, which isn’t unusual for vehicular homicide defendants two months shy of 18. Parisa refused, and now the wealthy spoiled killer will be a free man when he’s 19 and eventually have the conviction expunged from his record.

Thank you. Has Josh said publicly anywhere that he would have charged the criminal as an adult?

Actually, the opposite. He is on record saying he would have done the same thing.

But unlike the occupant, Josh would have WON that three-year sentence. Why? Because the judge LIKES Josh.

This is a really bizarre claim on which to hinge a campaign. One of the most outlandish things I have read in a while.

It’s not bizarre. Parisa has an off-putting personality - rigid, strident, comes across as condescending etc. People outside the courthouse weren’t aware of it until the Kehoe/Meade family spoke out. I think that’s at the root of the ad - Parisa didn’t listen, didn’t convey that she cared about the loss of Braylon, and then didn’t even bother to show up for sentencing. Josh has a much stronger reputation among his peers and judges and that matters to me.

These are things you'd only ever say about a woman. The fact is Parisa has been much more involved in the community than her predecessor, and even more so than most other elected officials. She always shows up to Falls Church events. Where most of the other electeds only show up in election years, she has been constantly showing up since she was elected and been kind and warm to everyone.

[Anonymous]

There is a lawyer on next door who laid out the details of why the kid wasn’t transferred to the adult system and why the sentencing her office requested was greater than the median adult sentence.

It was all very typical. She did nothing wrong.

It’s disgraceful that he’s using that poor kid’s death as a campaign device.

[Anonymous]

Time for a game! Guess who's campaign website has the following quote:

"I firmly believe that we need to try to keep children out of the justice system. Whenever possible, that means not charging them in the first place and not trying them as adults."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There is a lawyer on next door who laid out the details of why the kid wasn’t transferred to the adult system and why the sentencing her office requested was greater than the median adult sentence.

It was all very typical. She did nothing wrong.

It’s disgraceful that he’s using that poor kid’s death as a campaign device.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Time for a game! Guess who's campaign website has the following quote:

"I firmly believe that we need to try to keep children out of the justice system. Whenever possible, that means not charging them in the first place and not trying them as adults."

It's one thing to say it. But when push comes to shove, Parisa has done it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Time for a game! Guess who's campaign website has the following quote:

"I firmly believe that we need to try to keep children out of the justice system. Whenever possible, that means not charging them in the first place and not trying them as adults."

I’ll take Josh Katcher for $200, Ken.

It appears he thinks the ability to talk out of both sides of his mouth is the key skill of a CA.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Time for a game! Guess who's campaign website has the following quote:

"I firmly believe that we need to try to keep children out of the justice system. Whenever possible, that means not charging them in the first place and not trying them as adults."

I’ll take Josh Katcher for $200, Ken.

It appears he thinks the ability to talk out of both sides of his mouth is the key skill of a CA.

You're correct! https://www.joshforarlington.com/issues

So I guess Josh wouldn't have charged the person who killed the kid. But according to the ad, at least maybe in the process of deciding not to charge, he would have done a better job of listening, and that's apparently what matters most.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Time for a game! Guess who's campaign website has the following quote:

"I firmly believe that we need to try to keep children out of the justice system. Whenever possible, that means not charging them in the first place and not trying them as adults."

I’ll take Josh Katcher for $200, Ken.

It appears he thinks the ability to talk out of both sides of his mouth is the key skill of a CA.

You're correct! https://www.joshforarlington.com/issues

So I guess Josh wouldn't have charged the person who killed the kid. But according to the ad, at least maybe in the process of deciding not to charge, he would have done a better job of listening, and that's apparently what matters most.

I know this is confusing for some but there is a lot of stuff prosecutors can do in between the slap in the wrist that this spoilt brat of a kid got and being charged as an adult. Also what many people don’t seem to understand is that being charged as an adult doesn’t necessarily equal jail time. It could for example mean suspending his license for a couple of years and making reinstatement contingent on going through substance abuse treatment. It means actual consequences for your actions.

This of course is all due to terrible parenting. What type of parent gives their child a car if their child was caught driving drunk multiple times? What type of parents lets their child who has a drinking problem drive a car?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Time for a game! Guess who's campaign website has the following quote:

"I firmly believe that we need to try to keep children out of the justice system. Whenever possible, that means not charging them in the first place and not trying them as adults."

I’ll take Josh Katcher for $200, Ken.

It appears he thinks the ability to talk out of both sides of his mouth is the key skill of a CA.

You're correct! https://www.joshforarlington.com/issues

So I guess Josh wouldn't have charged the person who killed the kid. But according to the ad, at least maybe in the process of deciding not to charge, he would have done a better job of listening, and that's apparently what matters most.

I know this is confusing for some but there is a lot of stuff prosecutors can do in between the slap in the wrist that this spoilt brat of a kid got and being charged as an adult. Also what many people don’t seem to understand is that being charged as an adult doesn’t necessarily equal jail time. It could for example mean suspending his license for a couple of years and making reinstatement contingent on going through substance abuse treatment. It means actual consequences for your actions.

This of course is all due to terrible parenting. What type of parent gives their child a car if their child was caught driving drunk multiple times? What type of parents lets their child who has a drinking problem drive a car?

I’m sure there was plenty of pain and second-guessing to go around and that continues to this day. I think your post is unnecessary and venal. Should we also be asking what type of parent lets their high school kid stay out to midnight, or doesn’t teach them not to make U-turns on a busy road? Or spends months traveling with their son’s former teammates during a sports season getting nothing but love and support from others and yet still keeps looking to their friends and proxies to ascribe blame to others, including not only the reckless driver but also others in the judicial system?

I wish this thread were locked but I guess Josh Katcher is still hoping to get some mileage out of this before the primary.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Time for a game! Guess who's campaign website has the following quote:

"I firmly believe that we need to try to keep children out of the justice system. Whenever possible, that means not charging them in the first place and not trying them as adults."

I’ll take Josh Katcher for $200, Ken.

It appears he thinks the ability to talk out of both sides of his mouth is the key skill of a CA.

You're correct! https://www.joshforarlington.com/issues

So I guess Josh wouldn't have charged the person who killed the kid. But according to the ad, at least maybe in the process of deciding not to charge, he would have done a better job of listening, and that's apparently what matters most.

I know this is confusing for some but there is a lot of stuff prosecutors can do in between the slap in the wrist that this spoilt brat of a kid got and being charged as an adult. Also what many people don’t seem to understand is that being charged as an adult doesn’t necessarily equal jail time. It could for example mean suspending his license for a couple of years and making reinstatement contingent on going through substance abuse treatment. It means actual consequences for your actions.

This of course is all due to terrible parenting. What type of parent gives their child a car if their child was caught driving drunk multiple times? What type of parents lets their child who has a drinking problem drive a car?

I’m sure there was plenty of pain and second-guessing to go around and that continues to this day. I think your post is unnecessary and venal. Should we also be asking what type of parent lets their high school kid stay out to midnight, or doesn’t teach them not to make U-turns on a busy road? Or spends months traveling with their son’s former teammates during a sports season getting nothing but love and support from others and yet still keeps looking to their friends and proxies to ascribe blame to others, including not only the reckless driver but also others in the judicial system?

I wish this thread were locked but I guess Josh Katcher is still hoping to get some mileage out of this before the primary.

Umm staying out till midnight and making uturns on a busy road are very different than a kid who has been caught driving drunk multiple times. It’s not he was caught driving drunk once. It’s multiple times. Why on earth were they letting him drive? He’s a danger to himself and to everyone around him.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Time for a game! Guess who's campaign website has the following quote:

"I firmly believe that we need to try to keep children out of the justice system. Whenever possible, that means not charging them in the first place and not trying them as adults."

I’ll take Josh Katcher for $200, Ken.

It appears he thinks the ability to talk out of both sides of his mouth is the key skill of a CA.

You're correct! https://www.joshforarlington.com/issues

So I guess Josh wouldn't have charged the person who killed the kid. But according to the ad, at least maybe in the process of deciding not to charge, he would have done a better job of listening, and that's apparently what matters most.

I know this is confusing for some but there is a lot of stuff prosecutors can do in between the slap in the wrist that this spoilt brat of a kid got and being charged as an adult. Also what many people don’t seem to understand is that being charged as an adult doesn’t necessarily equal jail time. It could for example mean suspending his license for a couple of years and making reinstatement contingent on going through substance abuse treatment. It means actual consequences for your actions.

This of course is all due to terrible parenting. What type of parent gives their child a car if their child was caught driving drunk multiple times? What type of parents lets their child who has a drinking problem drive a car?

I’m sure there was plenty of pain and second-guessing to go around and that continues to this day. I think your post is unnecessary and venal. Should we also be asking what type of parent lets their high school kid stay out to midnight, or doesn’t teach them not to make U-turns on a busy road? Or spends months traveling with their son’s former teammates during a sports season getting nothing but love and support from others and yet still keeps looking to their friends and proxies to ascribe blame to others, including not only the reckless driver but also others in the judicial system?

I wish this thread were locked but I guess Josh Katcher is still hoping to get some mileage out of this before the primary.

Umm staying out till midnight and making uturns on a busy road are very different than a kid who has been caught driving drunk multiple times. It’s not he was caught driving drunk once. It’s multiple times. Why on earth were they letting him drive? He’s a danger to himself and to everyone around him.

You can keep repeating this ad nauseum and it’s not going to bring the Meade kid back, prevent others from questioning the parenting of both kids, or make the Katcher campaign look any less craven and opportunistic now.

Again, it would be better if the thread were locked.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Time for a game! Guess who's campaign website has the following quote:

"I firmly believe that we need to try to keep children out of the justice system. Whenever possible, that means not charging them in the first place and not trying them as adults."

I’ll take Josh Katcher for $200, Ken.

It appears he thinks the ability to talk out of both sides of his mouth is the key skill of a CA.

You're correct! https://www.joshforarlington.com/issues

So I guess Josh wouldn't have charged the person who killed the kid. But according to the ad, at least maybe in the process of deciding not to charge, he would have done a better job of listening, and that's apparently what matters most.

I know this is confusing for some but there is a lot of stuff prosecutors can do in between the slap in the wrist that this spoilt brat of a kid got and being charged as an adult. Also what many people don’t seem to understand is that being charged as an adult doesn’t necessarily equal jail time. It could for example mean suspending his license for a couple of years and making reinstatement contingent on going through substance abuse treatment. It means actual consequences for your actions.

This of course is all due to terrible parenting. What type of parent gives their child a car if their child was caught driving drunk multiple times? What type of parents lets their child who has a drinking problem drive a car?

I’m sure there was plenty of pain and second-guessing to go around and that continues to this day. I think your post is unnecessary and venal. Should we also be asking what type of parent lets their high school kid stay out to midnight, or doesn’t teach them not to make U-turns on a busy road? Or spends months traveling with their son’s former teammates during a sports season getting nothing but love and support from others and yet still keeps looking to their friends and proxies to ascribe blame to others, including not only the reckless driver but also others in the judicial system?

I wish this thread were locked but I guess Josh Katcher is still hoping to get some mileage out of this before the primary.

Umm staying out till midnight and making uturns on a busy road are very different than a kid who has been caught driving drunk multiple times. It’s not he was caught driving drunk once. It’s multiple times. Why on earth were they letting him drive? He’s a danger to himself and to everyone around him.

You can keep repeating this ad nauseum and it’s not going to bring the Meade kid back, prevent others from questioning the parenting of both kids, or make the Katcher campaign look any less craven and opportunistic now.

Again, it would be better if the thread were locked.

Dunno who you think I am but I haven’t commented much on this thread. I don’t know the Meade family or Katcher and only learned about this story through a neighbor. I came to this forum to see if anyone knew about the three candidates running for Sheriff and then found this thread. I’m just shocked about the lack of sympathy for a mom who lost her child. I don’t understand how someone can be driving drunk multiple times and have no consequences. Seems like he comes from a very privileged family with a lot of connections.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Time for a game! Guess who's campaign website has the following quote:

"I firmly believe that we need to try to keep children out of the justice system. Whenever possible, that means not charging them in the first place and not trying them as adults."

I’ll take Josh Katcher for $200, Ken.

It appears he thinks the ability to talk out of both sides of his mouth is the key skill of a CA.

You're correct! https://www.joshforarlington.com/issues

So I guess Josh wouldn't have charged the person who killed the kid. But according to the ad, at least maybe in the process of deciding not to charge, he would have done a better job of listening, and that's apparently what matters most.

I know this is confusing for some but there is a lot of stuff prosecutors can do in between the slap in the wrist that this spoilt brat of a kid got and being charged as an adult. Also what many people don’t seem to understand is that being charged as an adult doesn’t necessarily equal jail time. It could for example mean suspending his license for a couple of years and making reinstatement contingent on going through substance abuse treatment. It means actual consequences for your actions.

This of course is all due to terrible parenting. What type of parent gives their child a car if their child was caught driving drunk multiple times? What type of parents lets their child who has a drinking problem drive a car?

I’m sure there was plenty of pain and second-guessing to go around and that continues to this day. I think your post is unnecessary and venal. Should we also be asking what type of parent lets their high school kid stay out to midnight, or doesn’t teach them not to make U-turns on a busy road? Or spends months traveling with their son’s former teammates during a sports season getting nothing but love and support from others and yet still keeps looking to their friends and proxies to ascribe blame to others, including not only the reckless driver but also others in the judicial system?

I wish this thread were locked but I guess Josh Katcher is still hoping to get some mileage out of this before the primary.

Umm staying out till midnight and making uturns on a busy road are very different than a kid who has been caught driving drunk multiple times. It’s not he was caught driving drunk once. It’s multiple times. Why on earth were they letting him drive? He’s a danger to himself and to everyone around him.

You can keep repeating this ad nauseum and it’s not going to bring the Meade kid back, prevent others from questioning the parenting of both kids, or make the Katcher campaign look any less craven and opportunistic now.

Again, it would be better if the thread were locked.

Dunno who you think I am but I haven’t commented much on this thread. I don’t know the Meade family or Katcher and only learned about this story through a neighbor. I came to this forum to see if anyone knew about the three candidates running for Sheriff and then found this thread. I’m just shocked about the lack of sympathy for a mom who lost her child. I don’t understand how someone can be driving drunk multiple times and have no consequences. Seems like he comes from a very privileged family with a lot of connections.

It seems like your knowledge is admittedly sufficiently limited that you’d really have no idea what “consequences” the other kid driver may have incurred at different times in the past or most recently.

There was and remains an enormous amount of sympathy for the Meade family, but when they decided to politicize matters and also implicitly encouraged others to continue to harass the other teen driver and his family (and let’s be honest, some of these posts have come dangerously close to inciting physical violence against the family), they not surprisingly began to dissipate that support.

This primary can’t come soon enough. Josh Katcher should be ashamed for trying to capitalize on this tragedy for his own political purposes.