Key Facts
Background
Parisa Dehghani-Tafti graduated from the University of California Berkeley with a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy and Comparative Literature and the New York University Law School with a Juris Doctor [2, 3]. Dehghani-Tafti formerly worked at the Mid-Atlantic Innocence Project as a Senior Counselor and Legal Director [2, 3]. She is currently the Commonwealth’s attorney for Arlington County and the City of Falls Church [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8].
Key Issues
Criminal Justice
Dehghani-Tafti wants to support youth and keep families together. She has not charged any youth offenders as adults and has removed cash bail [1, 2, 7, 8].
Law Enforcement
Dehghani-Tafti wants to prevent the unnecessary use of force. She helped create a Critical Incident Response Team and a Community Oversight Board [1].
Social Programs
Dehghani-Tafti wants to help drug addicts who commit misdemeanors instead of prosecuting them. She helped expand the Drug Court to its full capacity [1, 6].
Endorsements
Don Beyer, Congressman; Jennifer McClellan, Congresswoman; Alfonso Lopez, Delegate; Jennifer Carroll Foy, former Delegate; Paul Ferguson, Clerk of the Court; Marcus Simon, Delegate; Scott Surovell, State Senator; Ingrid Morroy, Commissioner of Revenue; Patrick Hope, Delegate; Mary Hynes, former Arlington County Board Chair; Jay Jones, former Delegate; Matt de Ferranti, Board Member; Mary Margaret Whipple, former State Senator; Takis Karantonis, Board Member; Adele McClure, House of Delegates Candidate; Mary Kadera, School Board Member; Nancy Van Doren, former School Board Member; Gene Rossi, former candidate for Lieutenant Governor; Monique O’Grady, former School Board Member; Barbara Favola, State Senator; JD Spain, County Board Candidate; Dick Saslaw, State Senator; David Priddy, School Board Member; Wilma Jones, Community Leader; The Washington Post; The Falls Church News-Press; People for the American Way; CASA in Action; Demand Justice; Vote ProChoice; REPRO Rising Virginia; Mid-Atlantic Pipe Trades Association
Sources
1 Parisa Dehghani-Tafti
2 Arlington County Government
3 LinkedIn
4 Twitter
5 Facebook
6 WJLA
7 Washington Post
8 Patch