We are very lucky in this episode to welcome back Mayo Wilson who was a guest on an  earlier episode of the show.  He is an Assistant Commonwealth Attorney in the Fairfax County Commonwealth Attorney Office.  He is joined by Lula Kelly, who is the Diversion Program Manager for OAR (Opportunities, Alternatives, & Resources).  In Fairfax, OAR provides diversion programs, services for those incarcerated, post-release services, and family services.  OAR also services Loudoun County and Prince William County.    https://oarnova.org/

In this episode Lula explains what OAR does and also shares with us what Taking Root is in Fairfax County. https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/commonwealthattorney/taking-root
This is for non-violent offenses and to be eligible the person must have an underlying issue that has led to their criminal involvement.  If accepted into this program, the person will receive a plan that focuses on their individual needs and treatment.  If they are successful in satisfying the conditions put in place then they often may have their charge dismissed at the end of the case.

Mayo shares how the Fairfax County Commonwealth Attorney handles those applying to this program and ideally how things could play out if their office agrees to allow someone this opportunity to take root and start again.


LEGAL DISCLAIMER:

If you are listening to this podcast, thank you!  We sincerely hope you are listening to this podcast for its entertainment value and not with the intention of acquiring legal advice for any individual case or situation.  I mean, come on! You wouldn’t take advice from someone you have never met or spoken to directly, right?   If you were bleeding profusely, you wouldn’t listen to a podcast in hopes of a bandage somehow materializing over the internet and onto your 3D printer.  Seeking actual legal advice can be just as important as a tourniquet.  The hosts of this podcast are in no way intending to create an attorney-client relationship with any listener.  Sorry.  We are sure you all are great people but we cannot stress enough how little we know of you and your case and rather than risk an awkward moment, let us just remember we have never met.  Nothing on this platform be taken as legal advice for any individual case or situation!  We are just a group of friends with differing opinions and viewpoints which we will try to explore through discussions of current events, law changes, and whatever else floats our fancy.  

TIn this episode it is just the four regular hosts and.  Trespassing is a class 1 Misdemeanor and can be harmful to a criminal record even though it is not a felony or a crime of moral turpitude involving lying, stealing, or cheating, It can land people in jail again and again if they go back to places they have been banned from before.  This can happen a lot to those with nowhere to live where they just try to find somewhere safe and warm and comfortable to stay.  These cases can also often involve people with mental health and/or substance abuse issues.  Trespassing may seem simple enough but there are some interesting legal issues that can arise in proving these cases!


LEGAL DISCLAIMER:

If you are listening to this podcast, thank you!  We sincerely hope you are listening to this podcast for its entertainment value and not with the intention of acquiring legal advice for any individual case or situation.  I mean, come on! You wouldn’t take advice from someone you have never met or spoken to directly, right?   If you were bleeding profusely, you wouldn’t listen to a podcast in hopes of a bandage somehow materializing over the internet and onto your 3D printer.  Seeking actual legal advice can be just as important as a tourniquet.  The hosts of this podcast are in no way intending to create an attorney-client relationship with any listener.  Sorry.  We are sure you all are great people but we cannot stress enough how little we know of you and your case and rather than risk an awkward moment, let us just remember we have never met.  Nothing on this platform be taken as legal advice for any individual case or situation!  We are just a group of friends with differing opinions and viewpoints which we will try to explore through discussions of current events, law changes, and whatever else floats our fancy.  

Please note that one of our regular co-hosts Anthony Nourse did not participate in this episode as he was recently appointed as a substitute judge in Fairfax County.  Due to the political nature of this episode, Mr. Nourse had to refrain from participating in this episode as required by the Canons of Judicial Conduct for the Commonwealth of Virginia.

We took a looong summer break that lasted well into September but we are back with an all new episode with a special guest appearance by Blake Woloson who subbed in as a co-host for Anthony Nourse.  In this episode we welcome the two candidates for Fairfax County Circuit Court Clerk.  They are currently on your ballot right now in Fairfax County and early voting has begun!  This is the first debate we have had on our podcast and the candidates kept it very cordial while still advocating for your vote in the November 2023 election here in Fairfax.  Gerarda Culipher and Chris Falcon are your candidates running for the head Clerk of Court in the Fairfax County Circuit Court.  We begin by having the candidates explain just what the job of the head clerk is and then we get into each candidate's vision for how they would handle the position if elected.  Below are the links to each candidate's campaign site:

Gerarda Culipher   https://www.culipherforclerk.com

Chris Falcon   https://www.falconforfairfax.com

Here is info on voting in the election (either through early voting which has just begun or on Election Day November 7, 2023 if you prefer to vote the ole fashioned way in person!)
https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/elections/upcoming


LEGAL DISCLAIMER:

If you are listening to this podcast, thank you!  We sincerely hope you are listening to this podcast for its entertainment value and not with the intention of acquiring legal advice for any individual case or situation.  I mean, come on! You wouldn’t take advice from someone you have never met or spoken to directly, right?   If you were bleeding profusely, you wouldn’t listen to a podcast in hopes of a bandage somehow materializing over the internet and onto your 3D printer.  Seeking actual legal advice can be just as important as a tourniquet.  The hosts of this podcast are in no way intending to create an attorney-client relationship with any listener.  Sorry.  We are sure you all are great people but we cannot stress enough how little we know of you and your case and rather than risk an awkward moment, let us just remember we have never met.  Nothing on this platform be taken as legal advice for any individual case or situation!  We are just a group of friends with differing opinions and viewpoints which we will try to explore through discussions of current events, law changes, and whatever else floats our fancy.