Norfolk Deserves Better

Failures to Deliver Justice
and Poor Leadership

Ramin Fatehi is failing as Norfolk’s top prosecutor.

He’s shown up to court unprepared, been charged with contempt of court for being disrespectful and taunting a judge, and even put a recent law school graduate in charge of key parts of a murder trial, which was lost after a jury deliberated for only ten minutes.¹

His incompetence has left victims without justice. According to a Virginian-Pilot analysis, Fatehi got convictions in less than 30% of the murder cases that he brought to trial.²

On top of that, he has lost 57% of his child abuse and child sexual abuse trials, putting vulnerable children, families, and our community at risk.³

Fatehi failed to deliver justice to Chris Cummings, the nephew of the late Congressman Elijah Cummings, who was murdered at Old Dominion University. Four men were charged in the conspiracy, one man was found not guilty, and two of the cases were dismissed with prejudice because the Commonwealth Attorney’s Office failed to turn over discovery to defense.⁴
Fatehi pushed for a lenient sentence for a man charged with two gun crimes and resisting arrest with force. The man Fatehi failed to hold accountable went on to murder a child.⁵
Fatehi’s failure to secure key witnesses allowed the suspect in the Granby Street triple homicide, including Virginian-Pilot reporter Sierra Jenkins, to walk free.⁶
Fatehi’s lack of preparedness resulted in a child’s killer getting a lenient plea deal for voluntary manslaughter.^{7 8}
Fatehi lost a murder trial after assigning a brand new attorney, fresh out of law school, to a lead role in a murder case – their very first jury trial. The Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office lost after the jury deliberated for just ten minutes.⁹

These aren’t isolated incidents – they reflect a broader pattern.

Defense attorney Eric Korslund described the Commonwealth's Attorney's office's work as “gross negligence.” Korslund said, “It’s no respect for the deceased. It’s no respect for the deceased’s family. It’s no respect for this community. They need to do their job … We’re all human, we all make mistakes, but when they’re repeated, it’s a pattern. And it’s a choice. And these mistakes have been repeated and repeated and repeated.”¹⁰^‍

Fatehi’s poor leadership has driven experienced attorneys out of his office and resulted in 100% turnover of personnel. Since he took office over 75 staff including 40 attorneys have left.¹¹
Fatehi was nearly held with contempt of court for disrespecting and “taunt[ing]” a judge.¹²After Fatehi insulted the judge, a man accused of a violent assault got off the hook with no prison time.¹³

Soaring Crime Rates and Rising Disparities in Victims of Crime

The results of Ramin Fatehi’s mismanagement and reckless policies are clear. After Fatehi took office, racial disparities in murder have grown¹⁴ and Norfolk’s murder rates rose to 30-year highs¹⁵ – outpacing cities like Chicago and Detroit.¹⁶

Under Ramin Fatehi, African Americans are murdered at 13 times the rate of white people in Norfolk – a 200% increase since Fatehi took office.¹⁷
After Fatehi took office, racial disparities in the Norfolk Jail widened – with the percentage of African American inmates rising.¹⁸

Last year's 9-1-1 calls in Norfolk hit the highest level in years.¹⁹
In Fatehi’s first year as Commonwealth’s Attorney, car thefts in Norfolk increased by 33%, robberies rose by 8%, burglary rose by 13%, and property crime rose by 32%.²⁰

Reckless Plea Deals Fail to deliver justice to Victims

Ramin Fatehi’s reckless plea deals have failed victims of violence, domestic violence, and sexual abuse – leading people to feel less safe. Dozens of his plea deals have been rejected by the Court as they deemed the reductions in charges to be too lenient - 29 plea deals were rejected in his first year, more than the previous three years combined.²¹ Fatehi has repeatedly given lenient plea deals in even the most violent and disturbing criminal cases:

Fatehi’s soft plea deal let an accused domestic abuser who killed his 23-year-old girlfriend and her mother, who was a social worker for Child Protective Services, get just eight years in prison. In the wake of this outcome, the victim’s father said, “It’s the state’s job to deliver justice, to do good for survivors, not to add to their pain ... No murderer should be granted leniency or given unjust plea deals for their ill will.” The victim’s aunt said, “Our family is completely hurt and disappointed [...] how do you get just eight years total for two beautiful souls?”²²
Fatehi failed to hold a 52-year-old man accountable for committing sex crimes with a five-year-old girl.^{23 24 25 26}
Fatehi gave a plea deal to a 46-year-old man who tried to pay an 11-year-old boy for sex – capping the sentence and allowing the man to walk free without posting bond.^{27 28}
Fatehi gave a plea deal that reduced a charge from first degree murder to involuntary manslaughter for a man who stabbed to death a veteran and father of an eight month old.²⁹

Under Ramin Fatehi, people feel less safe in Norfolk. We need to replace Fatehi with competent and effective leadership in the Commonwealth’s Attorney Office. Norfolk deserves better.

Failures to Deliver Justice and Poor Leadership

Soaring Crime Rates and Rising Disparities in Victims of Crime

Reckless Plea Deals Fail to deliver justice to Victims

Failures to Deliver Justice
and Poor Leadership