The "Unite the Right" Aftermath and the Balance of Public Prosecution | Joe Platania (Charlottesville Commonwealth's Attorney)

"The community at the time was just furious with me for charging any of the counter-protestors with anything. And I was very sympathetic to the ideology of the counter-protestors, and was mortified by some of the viewpoints of the alt-right individuals. But I said, 'I have to prosecute conduct, not content,' and if you start picking sides, that's a scary thing."

Joe Platania, the Commonwealth’s Attorney for Charlottesville, joined us for a candid conversation about what it truly means to serve as a prosecutor. 

From starting as a public defender to leading the prosecution of high-profile cases—most notably those arising from the 2017 Unite the Right rally—we explored the immense power and responsibility of prosecutorial discretion, the balance between victim advocacy and fairness to the accused, and the importance of proactive engagement with the communities prosecutors serve.

It was a privilege having Joe join us.

Courtroom Stories & Tactics | RVA Trial Lawyers
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Sharif Gray and Nael Abouzaki