Parisa Dehghani-Tafti

Arlington’s top prosecutor seeks better pay for staff, noting increased police salaries

Published April 9, 2026 at 2:45PM

Commonwealth's Attorney Parisa Dehghani-Tafti speaks (staff photo by Scott McCaffrey)

Arlington’s commonwealth attorney seeking higher pay for prosecutors this budget season, pointing to increased salaries for police officers and potentially better compensation in surrounding localities.

The proposed fiscal year 2027 budget calls for increasing funding for the Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office by roughly 3%: from about $7.7 million to $7.9 million. But Commonwealth’s Attorney Parisa Dehghani-Tafti told the Arlington County Board on Tuesday that prosecutors’ starting salary of $82,000 should be higher.

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JUST IN: House committee subpoenas Arlington prosecutor in bias investigation

By Dan Egitto

Published March 20, 2026 at 3:45PM | Updated March 23, 2026 at 12:25PM

Commonwealth's Attorney Parisa Dehghani-Tafti at an anti-ICE rally in Courthouse this month (staff photo by Dan Egitto)

The House Judiciary Committee has subpoenaed Arlington’s commonwealth’s attorney, the latest escalation in a months-long dispute over her handling of an ongoing criminal investigation.

Committee Chairman Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) has filed a subpoena seeking to compel Commonwealth’s Attorney Parisa Dehghani-Tafti to release numerous documents related to a case involving the search and seizure of an activist’s cellphone.

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Sex offender again convicted of possessing child pornography, awaits indecent exposure trial

By Dan Egitto

Published February 5, 2026 at 11:45AM

Mugshot of Richard Cox, via Arlington County Sheriff's Office, and the W-L High School campus

A convicted sex offender accused of indecent exposure in multiple girls’ locker rooms in Arlington has been found guilty of possessing child pornography.

Richard Kenneth Cox — who is still awaiting trial for other instances of allegedly claiming to be transgender in order to access girls’ locker rooms at Arlington Public Schools pools and remain there while naked — was found guilty of two counts of possession of child pornography yesterday (Wednesday).

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Coalition including Arlington’s top prosecutor pledges accountability if feds commit crimes

By Jared Serre

Published January 29, 2026 at 3:45PM

Commonwealth's Attorney Parisa Dehghani-Tafti at an anti-ICE rally in Courthouse this month (staff photo by Dan Egitto)

A coalition of progressive prosecutors including Arlington’s commonwealth’s attorney is promising to share strategies and pursue accountability for any illegal actions by federal agents.

Commonwealth’s Attorney Parisa Dehghani-Tafti — alongside Fairfax County Commonwealth’s Attorney Steve Descano and prosecutors from Minneapolis, Philadelphia and other jurisdictions — announced the Fight Against Federal Overreach (FAFO) project yesterday (Wednesday). The initiative aims to “rein in unlawful conduct” amid a growing presence of federal immigration and law enforcement in communities across the country.

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House committee threatens to force Arlington prosecutor to send documents in bias investigation

By Dan Egitto

Published January 16, 2026 at 9:15AM

Commonwealth's Attorney Parisa Dehghani-Tafti at an anti-ICE rally in Courthouse this month (staff photo by Dan Egitto)

The House Judiciary Committee is threatening to legally force Arlington’s commonwealth’s attorney to send documents related to her handling of an ongoing criminal investigation.

In the latest escalation of a months-long dispute, Committee Chairman Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) argued that he has the authority to compel Commonwealth’s Attorney Parisa Dehghani-Tafti to submit a wide variety of materials related to her requesting limits on the search and seizure of an Arlington activist’s cellphone.

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Hundreds rally in Courthouse to protest ICE shooting of Minneapolis woman

By Dan Egitto

Published January 12, 2026 at 10:00AM

Anti-ICE demonstrators rally in Courthouse on Sunday, Jan. 11, 2025 (staff photo by Dan Egitto)

Hundreds of demonstrators rallied with Arlington officials in Courthouse yesterday (Sunday) in protest of immigration enforcement killing a U.S. citizen in Minneapolis.

“I have dedicated 24 years of my life protecting Arlington because I believe law enforcement is supposed to protect the community by building trusting relationships,” Arlington Sheriff Jose Quiroz told the crowd gathered in Courthouse Plaza. “ICE is doing the opposite. The way they are operating does not keep us safe.”

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Arlington’s top prosecutor fires back at House committee over allegations of ‘political bias’

By Dan Egitto

Published December 2, 2025 at 3:45PM

Commonwealth's Attorney Parisa Dehghani-Tafti at a recent event (staff photo by James Cullum)

Arlington’s commonwealth’s attorney is returning fire to the House Judiciary Committee for questioning her handling of an ongoing criminal investigation, accusing it of overstepping its authority.

Commonwealth’s Attorney Parisa Dehghani-Tafti has declined to provide numerous documents that Committee Chairman Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) requested regarding an investigation of a local activist critical of the Trump administration. Arguing that many of these documents are confidential, she suggested that the request is “an improper incursion” into Virginia’s sovereignty and her own authority over local cases.

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DEVELOPING: House Judiciary Committee chair launches inquiry into Arlington’s top prosecutor

By Dan Egitto

Published November 14, 2025 at 11:45AM

Parisa Dehghani-Tafti at her election watch party in Courthouse (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

The chair of the House Judiciary Committee is challenging Arlington’s top prosecutor over a case involving a local activist critical of the Trump administration.

Chairman Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) sent a letter to Commonwealth’s Attorney Parisa Dehghani-Tafti yesterday (Thursday), accusing her of “political bias” and requesting numerous documents related to court proceedings and federal funding for her office.

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Arlington’s top prosecutor clashes with Miyares and feds over seizure of activist’s phone

By Dan Egitto

Published November 10, 2025 at 3:45PM

Arlington County Courthouse (staff photo by Ryan Cole)

The search and seizure of a cell phone belonging to an Arlington activist has set off a tug-of-war involving Arlington’s top prosecutor and state and federal authorities.

As partial allies in the legal action, seeking to limit an investigation of the phone belonging to 66-year-old retired academic Barbara Wien, are Commonwealth’s Attorney Parisa Dehghani-Tafti and Wien’s attorney, former Chief Public Defender Brad Haywood.

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Head of ICE targets Arlington sheriff’s office over detainer for twice-deported sex offender

By Dan Egitto

Published July 21, 2025 at 3:45PM

Arlington County courthouse on Tuesday, Sept. 19, 2023 (staff photo by James Jarvis)

The head of Immigration and Customs Enforcement is taking aim at the Arlington County Sheriff’s Office following a recent immigration arrest in Courthouse.

David Cabrera, an undocumented immigrant who pleaded guilty to the attempted rape of Arlington teenager in 2014, was detained by ICE agents outside the Arlington County magistrate’s office earlier this month.

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Arlington prosecutor pushes for more staff despite budget crunch

By Scott McCaffrey

Published March 11, 2025 at 9:45AM

Parisa Dehghani-Tafti at her 2023 election watch party in Courthouse (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

Arlington’s commonwealth’s attorney is pushing for an increase in funding for her office as the county continues to wrestle with a relatively tight budget.

At a budget work session last week, Commonwealth’s Attorney Parisa Dehghani-Tafti argued on behalf of three additional staff positions not included in the current budget draft.

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Amid federal confusion, Arlington prosecutor seeks more state and county funds

By Dan Egitto

Published January 29, 2025 at 3:45PM

Commonwealth's Attorney Parisa Dehghani-Tafti at an NAACP and Black Lives Matter rally and march in 2020 (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

Arlington’s top prosecutor is seeking more state and county funds this year — while trying to keep pace with an ongoing rollercoaster of federal funding decisions.

Before a now-rescinded memo on a federal spending freeze sent agencies around the country scrambling for answers this week, Commonwealth’s Attorney Parisa Dehghani-Tafti was already lobbying for a boost in local funding for her office.