Virginia AG offers help in prosecution after judge kicks local prosecutor off case

Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares is offering to help prosecute a criminal case in northern Virginia after a judge removed the local prosecutor from the case.

The court removed Loudoun County Commonwealth’s Attorney Buta Biberaj from prosecuting a case after alleging she misrepresented the facts so the judge would grant the defendant a lighter sentence.

The case involves Kevin Enrique Valle, who is accused of 12 burglaries across the region, including Loudoun County. The judge claimed the prosecutor intentionally misled the public and the court and did not conduct herself by professional standards when she failed to provide information about Valle’s criminal history and his other alleged burglaries.

Now that Fauquier County will take over the case, Miyares is offering to help with the prosecution or take over the case altogether.

“It is clear from the order that the court rightfully lost confidence in Ms. Biberaj, her deputies and her office’s ability and willingness to effectively seek justice in this matter,” Miyares said in a letter to Judge Douglas Fleming Jr. who now presides over the case.

“This is a situation of first impression for most in the legal community,” the attorney general continued. “Considering the unprecedented development, I wanted to offer the court the services of the Office of Attorney General to either prosecute these cases or assist the Fauquier County in such a prosecution, we would proceed in that manner.”

Per the Virginia code, the governor has the authority to conduct criminal prosecutions in cases that are in the Virginia circuit courts.