COLIN D. STOLLE
Residence: Shore Drive, Virginia Beach
Age: 51
Occupation: Attorney
Education: Virginia Commonwealth University, B.A., Political Science, 1992; Virginia Law Reading Program, 1995
Endorsement: Fraternal Order of Police
Website: www.ColinStolle.com
Phone: (757) 563-3304
Email: info@ColinStolle.com
What are your specific qualifications for this office? While studying law in the evenings, I worked during the day in the Office of the Commonwealth’s Attorney. I served as the “Habitual Offender Coordinator,” assisting prosecutors remove the most dangerous drivers from our roads. It was at this point that I realized that the only thing I wanted to do with my legal career was to be a prosecutor. After passing the bar, I was hired as an Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney in 1996. Since that time, I have handled every type of case from speeding to Capital Murder. I was able to work my way up in the office by constantly handling one of the most heavy and serious caseloads.
In 2004, I was promoted to Deputy Commonwealth’s Attorney and supervised a trial team of attorneys and staff. In 2005, I was promoted to Chief Deputy Commonwealth’s Attorney and became responsible for overseeing all of the prosecutors in the office.
I was first elected Commonwealth’s Attorney in 2013 and am proud to continue in that role today. I currently manage a multimillion-dollar budget, as well as supervise 44 attorneys, 24 paralegals, and with the rest of the staff, a total office of about 100 dedicated public servants. Even with the demands of management and policy responsibilities, I still handle some of the most serious and high-profile cases that come into the office.
Additionally, I am very proud to serve as the President of the Virginia Association of Commonwealth’s Attorneys and the Co-Chair of the Virginia Criminal Justice Conference.
What are the most pressing issues to you and how will you address them in office? One of the most pressing issues in the criminal justice system, as a whole, is properly addressing those individuals with mental health issues. The criminal justice system was never designed to be a service provider. Yet, every day that is the position in which prosecutors, police, sheriff’s deputies, defense attorneys and judges find themselves… but without the community-based services and housing needed to properly make a difference. Until there is a systematic change in how we help those with mental health issues, the criminal justice system must find innovative ways to address the problem. That is why I have been advocating for, and will continue to do so, a Mental Health Docket in all of our local courts. Much like a Drug Court, a Mental Health Court is designed to try and address those specific needs for each individual and ensure that they seek proper assistance for those needs.
What will you do as Commonwealth’s Attorney to help address the opioid crisis, such as supporting treatment options? We cannot arrest our way out of the opioid crisis. Instead, we have to come up with new approaches to helping our family, friends and neighbors who are struggling with addiction. That is why my office – in conjunction with VBPD, Department of Human Services, EMS, and Virginia Beach Psychiatric Center – just recently launched the Virginia Beach’s First Step Program. The program is designed to simplify the process of connecting those who want help with the services that they need. Anyone experiencing an opioid addiction can simply walk into a VBPD Precinct and ask for help with their addiction. The Department of Human Services Pathways Center will be contacted immediately and will evaluate the individual to determine their needs. The goal of the program is not to make arrests, but rather get people the help they need without involving the court system. More information about the program can be found here: www.vbgov.com/thefirststep.
How will you coordinate with city officials to ensure proper function of your office? Commonwealth’s Attorney is a Constitutional Office, meaning that it is neither a State Agency nor a City Department. Because the office is created in the Constitution, it is an independent office that allows for me to investigate and prosecute any matters without interference from other governmental entities. However, being independent does not mean that we don’t need the help and assistance of various state agencies and city departments to perform our responsibilities to the citizens of Virginia Beach. Open communication is always the first step to being a good partner. I am very proud of the great partnerships that this office has developed over the years – at both the city and state level – that allow us to provide the best possible service that we can. I will continue to ensure that those partnerships continue so that Virginia Beach can remain one of the safest cities in the country.
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