court

DEVELOPING: Arlington’s Top Prosecutor Retiring

By ARLnow.com

Arlington County Commonwealth’s Attorney Richard E. Trodden announced his retirement today.

The four-term prosecutor said he will not seek re-election next year. In a statement, Trodden endorsed Chief Deputy Commonwealth’s Attorney Theo Stamos to be his successor.

“Theo has earned, in her nearly 25 years of experience, the respect of the bench, the defense bar, her colleagues and the citizens of Arlington County and the City of Falls Church,” Trodden said. “She is the right person at the right time.”

Stamos, a Democrat, also has the backing of Arlington County Sheriff Beth Arthur and Clerk of the Circuit Court Paul Ferguson.

“Theo is tough but fair,” said Ferguson. “She’s a compassionate and caring person,” as well as “a great prosecutor and a community leader.”

Stamos says she’s ready for the job.

“I’m passionate about the work our office does and I’m grateful for Dick’s endorsement,” she said. “I’m looking forward to campaigning and to winning the support of the voters of Arlington and Falls Church.”

Photo via Office of the Commonwealth’s Attorney

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Will Capital Bikeshare Experience Distribution Problems? — Due to the one-way flow of commuters, bike share programs tend to experience some degree of distribution problems. At any given time, some stations will be full of bikes, making it impossible to return one, while other stations will be empty, making it impossible to rent one. Such a situation forces bike share officials to manually move bikes from place to place, adding costs to the system. More from TheCityFix blog.

Moran Throws Racy Fundraiser — Rep. Jim Moran is pitching a night at the theater for big donors — but they have to leave the kids at home. For $2,400, donors get two tickets to the anti-Vietnam War musical “Hair” at the Kennedy Center, along with an invite to a pre-show dinner reception. But the offer comes with a warning: “Please note: this performance contains strong language, mature content and brief nudity.” More from Politico.

Arlington Man Kicked Off Flight Due to Disability — Arlington resident Zuhair Mahmoud says a Dubai-based airline refused to allow him to board a flight because he is blind and was not traveling with a companion. The airline’s CEO says he’s sorry for the incident. More from the Associated Press.

Arlington Lawyer Stripped of License — An Arlington lawyer accused of practicing law without a license, who had his license to practice law reinstated in April, has been stripped of the license by the D.C. Court of Appeals. Howard Deiner is accused of representing families of children with special needs in cases while his license lapsed due to unpaid bills. More from the Washington Post.

Flickr pool photo by Chaita_1

Afternoon Notes: Fake FBI Agent Pleads Guilty

By ARLnow.com

Fake FBI Agent Pleads Guilty — Brenna Marie Reilly, 29, was arrested in Arlington in March and accused of impersonating an FBI agent. Prosecutors say that as part of the elaborate ruse, Reilly went so as to hire an unwitting neighbor as an assistant. Reilly pleaded guilty in federal court today. She faces up to three years in prison.

Arlington Releases Memorial Day Closure List — Unsurprisingly, just about everything county-related will be closed. However, trash collection will continue as normal and the Barcroft Sports and Fitness Center will be open for part of the day.

Write-Up for China Garden Dim Sum — If you haven’t had dim sum at Rosslyn’s China Garden restaurant, it’s worth it just for the experience, if not the food, according to I Spy Things DC. China Garden is located inside the ABC7 building at Wilson Blvd and North Lynn Street.