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RICHMOND, VIRGINIA: Scott Smith, who was arrested for disorderly conduct during a tumultuous school board meeting in June 2021, has been disgruntled with Buta Biberaj, a liberal Democrat prosecutor and the district attorney who was overseeing his case, and labeled her "one of the most evil people" he has ever met.
Notably, Biberaj has previously faced accusations of misusing her office to target political opponents and local reporters, as per a county supervisor.
Smith, whose daughter was reportedly sexually assaulted in the bathroom of her Virginia school, ended up embroiled in a verbal and physical confrontation with a woman he described as a "radical protestor" during a meeting as he sought to address the assault on his daughter.
While Biberaj apparently objected to Smith's pardon, he later received it from Republican Governor Glenn Youngkin.
Scott Smith's views on his arrest for disorderly conduct
Recounting the incident, Scott Smith said, "I was sitting in my little area, and a radical protestor came. I heard shouting behind me, and it was my wife and her; I didn't even know my wife was there. So I stepped in, tried to explain to this lady what was going on," according to Fox News.
He went on to explain that the woman accused him of lying about the incident, leading to a verbal altercation that escalated into a physical confrontation. The altercation resulted in Smith being arrested and charged with disorderly conduct.
The district attorney overseeing the case at the time was Buta Biberaj, who has been at the center of controversy herself. Smith did not mince words when describing Biberaj, labeling her "one of the most evil people" he has ever met.
Biberaj, in turn, objected vehemently to Smith's pardon, branding it a "political stunt" and an "inappropriate intervention into an active legal case." She accused Governor Glenn Youngkin of acting as "judge and jury" in the matter, sparking a heated political dispute.
Smith insisted that Biberaj needed to be voted out of office. "Unfortunately, I had to deal with her face to face with the prosecution of the sexual predator of my daughter," he stated. "We need to vote her out."
The incident involving Smith's daughter, which took place at Stone Bright High School, was not an isolated case. The same student who assaulted Smith's daughter allegedly went on to attack another girl at a different school.
This incident became emblematic of the culture wars that raged in 2021, with school board meetings becoming increasingly tense and polarized.
Governor Glenn Youngkin, a Republican, weighed in on the controversy, asserting that Smith should never have been charged. In his view, he was merely a concerned father standing up for his daughter's rights in the face of a grave injustice.
Youngkin declared, "We righted a wrong. He should have never been prosecuted here. This was a dad standing up for his daughter. His daughter had been sexually assaulted in the bathroom of a school, and no one was doing anything about it. This was a gross miscarriage of justice."
What's the background of Buta Biberaj?
The focal point of this controversy, Buta Biberaj, has a unique background. She immigrated to the US from Albania at a young age, escaping the grip of a communist regime.
Growing up as a first-generation Albanian American in New York, she learned to navigate the intersection of two cultures, fusing her Albanian heritage with the opportunities America offered.
Biberaj's early experiences inspired her dedication to justice and advocating for the underprivileged. Her journey led her to become an attorney, and she notably founded her own practice three decades ago. In addition to her private practice, Biberaj served as a substitute judge for over 11 years and a guardian ad litem for over 23 years.
In 2019, she made history by becoming the first woman to be elected as the Commonwealth's Attorney for Loudoun County. Her victory marked a significant milestone as she became the first immigrant (Albanian American) and the first Muslim to hold this position.
What are the controversies surrounding Buta Biberaj?
Buta Biberaj's tenure as a liberal Democrat prosecutor has not been without controversy. She received campaign finance support from a George Soros-backed organization, leading to allegations of political bias and misconduct.
In February, she faced accusations of misusing her office to target political opponents and local reporters, as claimed by a county supervisor. These allegations prompted her removal from multiple cases, further intensifying the scrutiny surrounding her actions.
Critics argue that prosecutors like Biberaj, who have received support from Soros-backed groups, focus more on pursuing political opponents than prosecuting dangerous criminals.
They contend that these prosecutors often seek minimal punishment for offenders, and as a result, some criminals released back into society have committed additional violent crimes.
This pattern has allegedly coincided with a rise in violent crime in recent years, raising questions about the effectiveness of soft-on-crime prosecutorial strategies, as per the Washington Examiner.
