Patrick A. McDade (R)
Office Sought: Commonwealth's Attorney
Age: 38
Residence: Vienna.
Education: BA, English, Washington & Jefferson College; JD, George Mason University School of Law.
Occupation: Assistant commonwealth's attorney, Arlington County commonwealth's attorney's office.
Web site:http://www.mcdadeforca.com
E-mail address: patrick@mcdadeforca.com
Offices and positions held: Member, Virginia State Bar, Fairfax Bar Association, Arlington County Bar Association; Class of 2005, Fairfax County Chamber of Commerce Emerging Leaders Institute.
Why should voters elect you?
As a prosecutor with an IT management background, I possess the leadership, knowledge and experience to transform the prosecutor's office into a modern, effective enterprise.
What do you think is the most urgent problem facing your jurisdiction?
Seventy-two percent of felony crimes [in the county] are dismissed or dropped to misdemeanors. This is the worst felony prosecution rate in Virginia by more than 20 percent. The two main reasons for this serious deficiency are chronic understaffing and mismanagement in the office. Even though funding is available for more, there are currently only 21 prosecutors in the office. In contrast, Norfolk, with a fraction of our population and substantially less crime, has 41 prosecutors. Furthermore, prosecutors regularly appear for trial without a case file, never having seen a police report and never having met with victims or witnesses.
What is your plan to address the traffic problems in Virginia?
When elected, I will make the highways safer by prosecuting Driving While Intoxicated, Aggressive Driving, and "Road Rage" cases to the fullest extent of the law. These drivers are a danger on our highways and further aggravate our already serious traffic congestion problems. Furthermore, I intend to vigorously prosecute those who continue to drive when their license has been suspended, and I will seek jail time when appropriate. These drivers have been ordered not to drive, often because they present a danger on the highways, and should not be adding to the traffic issues we already face in Fairfax. By creating a tougher legal environment for these serious driving infractions, our highways will become safer, and we will have fewer congestion problems caused by these behaviors.
Do you think current policies governing growth & development in your area are too restrictive, not restrictive enough or just right?
not restrictive enough
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