Charlottesville City Sheriff
Charlottesville voters in 2025 will elect the City’s Sheriff, a constitutional officer responsible for maintaining courthouse and courtroom security, executing civil processes like serving warrants and summonses, managing the custody and transport of prisoners and mental health detainees, and generally enforcing the law under state authority. Though not the chief law enforcement officer in cities with police departments, the Charlottesville Sheriff plays a critical role in the operations of the justice system — ensuring courtroom safety, delivering legal documents, and protecting public order — which directly contributes to fair, effective public safety and access to justice.
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James E. Brown III
(Dem)
What are your priorities for maintaining courthouse and courtroom security?
How will you balance the Sheriff’s responsibilities with fairness and transparency?
What steps would you take to modernize civil process serving, prisoner transport, and mental health custody services?
How will you ensure accountability and community trust in the Sheriff’s Office?
Local sheriffs may be asked to cooperate with federal immigration enforcement agencies such as ICE. How would you approach decisions about cooperation with federal immigration authorities while balancing public safety, community trust, and the protection of residents' rights?
Priorities for maintaining courthouse/courtroom security are having the proper number staff needed and ensuring that they have proper training. We also need to have the proper equipment and maintinan it in good condition.
We treat all people with respect and are fair in the matters in which we deal with all people. We respond to questions and concerns that do not jeopardize safety and security. If a question does interfere, we let people know about that conflict.
We have a tracking system for civil process that provides information regarding the status of papers. The courts typically still require paper service although a few things can be done electronically. In regard to prisoner and mental health custody, we keep modern vehicles that are safe and help to transport people in a safe manner. Some people can appear by video, which is a modern way to appear for some court hearings, but the transportation is generally the same.
We respond to questions and concerns in a professional manner. Much information, including the budget, is available online. We show up to community events and that is a big part of building community trust.
We do not participate in ICE raids and/or roundups. We are busy enforcing state and local laws. We try to ensure public safety and community trust at the courthouse and when assisting the police department in the community by focusing on our duties. The protection of residents' rights also falls into the category of focusing on what we do with state and local laws.
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