Prosecutor Profiles
 Jeffrey
P. Bennett
jbennett@ocalynchburg.com
Deputy Commonwealth’s Attorney
- B.A., Hampden-Sydney
College; 1997
- J.D.,
University of Richmond School of Law; 2000
Jeff joined the office as an Assistant Commonwealth's Attorney in
2002 and was promoted to Deputy Commonwealth’s Attorney in 2006.
He prosecutes a broad range of felonies and misdemeanors in all
levels of state court and serves as a supervisor for adult crimes.
Jeff has received training at the National College of District
Attorneys in Columbia, South Carolina, and has completed specialized
training courses for prosecution of homicide and major drug cases at
the “Murder 1” and “Top Gun” schools in Williamsburg, Virginia.
Jeff has also been cross-designated as a Special Assistant United
States Attorney for the Western District of Virginia since 2008.
Prior to practicing law, he worked as a journalist assigned to the
Pentagon and Capitol Hill in Washington, DC. Originally from
Chesterfield County, Jeff currently lives in Amherst with his wife,
daughters, and assorted pets. He enjoys running, hiking and
reading in his spare time, and is also an avid mandolin and guitar
player.
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 Charles
F. Felmlee
cfelmlee@ocalynchburg.com
Deputy Commonwealth’s Attorney
- B.A., Wake Forest University; 1994
- J.D., George Mason University; 1998
Chuck returned to the Office in December 2004 as a Deputy
Commonwealth's Attorney. Chuck first worked in the office from
June 2000 thru July 2002 as an Assistant Commonwealth's Attorney.
In August 2002, he moved to Richmond, VA and served as an Assistant
Commonwealth's Attorney in Henrico County. As the Exile
prosecutor for Henrico County, his caseload consisted primarily of
gun-related crimes. Now back in his hometown, he serves as a
supervisor for adult crimes in the General District and Circuit
Courts. Prior to working as a prosecutor, he was involved in
Major League Baseball Salary Arbitration hearings while working for
a law firm in Washington, D.C. He lives in Lynchburg with his
wife, two children, and their dog, Molly. He is an avid sports fan and
a former college tennis player.
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 Jennifer
S. Bennett
jsbennett@ocalynchburg.com
Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney
- B.S., Political Science, Northern Arizona University; 1996
- J.D., University of Richmond School of Law; 1999
Jennifer joined the office as an Assistant Commonwealth's Attorney in August 2004. Prior to coming to Lynchburg, she practiced privately in Charlottesville and taught online legal research for Westlaw. Jennifer is a member of the Domestic Violence Prosecution Unit. To better serve Lynchburg, Jennifer has received evidence-based prosecution training at the National Advocacy Center in South Carolina, as well as specialized domestic violence training from the National Center for the Prosecution of Violence Against Women, a division of the American Prosecutors Research Institute. A mother to
two wonderful daughters and two frisky pets, Jennifer lives in Amherst with her husband. When time allows, she enjoys curling up with a good book.
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Bethany A. S.
Harrison
bharrison@ocalynchburg.com
Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney
- B.A., English,
University of Virginia; 2001
- J.D., University of
Alabama; 2005
Bethany joined the Lynchburg Commonwealth’s Attorney Office in
March 2006. She primarily works in the Juvenile and Domestic Relations
Court where she prosecutes a wide range of crimes committed by
juveniles and domestic violence cases. She works with the Youth
Education and Support program and teaches elementary children what it
means to try a case through demonstrations and mock trials. She enjoys
art, running, cooking, reading, gardening, traveling with her husband
and is an absolute animal lover. |
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Janell R. Johnson
jjohnson@ocalynchburg.com
Senior Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney
- B.S., James Madison University; 1989
- J.D., Washington and Lee University; 1993
Janell has been an Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney for the City
of Lynchburg since 2000 and was recently promoted to Senior
Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney in April 2006. In addition to
prosecuting a broad range of felonies and misdemeanors, Janell’s
primary focus is on the prosecution of sex offenses, as well as
supervision of the Juvenile and Domestic Relations prosecution team.
Prior to becoming a prosecutor, Janell worked in private practice in
Roanoke, Virginia, specializing in personal injury defense. She
currently lives in Bedford with her husband and two children.
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 Joseph
W. Lee
jlee@ocalynchburg.com
Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney
- B.A., University of Virginia; 1986
- J.D., Capital Law and Graduate Center; 1994
Joseph
joined the Office of
the Commonwealth's Attorney
in July of 2006. Prior to joining our office, Joseph was engaged in
civil litigation practice before Virginia's State and Federal
Courts, including oral argument at Virginia's Supreme Court. He
currently prosecutes a broad range of felonies and misdemeanors in
General District and Circuit Courts. In his spare time, Joseph
volunteers as a board member for Big Brothers Big Sisters of
Southwest Virginia and enjoys jogging.
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Patrick O'Brien
pobrien@ocalynchburg.com
Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney
- B.A., Political Science, Colgate University; 2006
- J.D., Washington and Lee University; 2010
Patrick joined the Office of the Commonwealth’s Attorney in June
of 2010. Patrick prosecutes misdemeanors and felonies in the
General District and Circuit Courts. While in law school at
Washington and Lee University, Patrick gained practical experience
participating in the Commonwealth Attorney Program, which allowed
him to serve as prosecutor while under the tutelage of local
Commonwealth Attorneys. Patrick grew up in Baltimore, Maryland and
received his undergraduate degree in Political Science from Colgate
University in Hamilton, NY. Patrick is a sports fanatic who
plays ice hockey and soccer.
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 Kelly
A. Osterbind
kosterbind@ocalynchburg.com
Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney
- B.S., Social Science
with Teacher Licensure (summa cum laude), Liberty University; 2004
- J.D., Liberty
University School of Law; 2007
Kelly joined the Office of the
Commonwealth's Attorney in October of 2008. Prior to joining
our office, Kelly was an Assistant Commonwealth's Attorney in
Bedford County, Virginia. Kelly prosecutes misdemeanors and
felonies in General District and Circuit Courts. In addition,
Kelly is licensed to teach middle and high school history and
government in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Originally from
Cumberland, Maryland, Kelly now lives in Lynchburg with her husband.
In her spare time, Kelly enjoys reading and playing the piano.
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Michael C. Pflieger
mpflieger@ocalynchburg.com
Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney
- B.A., The Johns Hopkins University; 1996
- J.D., University of Virginia; 1999
Mike joined the office as an Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney in August 2004. After graduating from law school, Mike was a judge advocate in the United States Army, where he prosecuted offenses under the UCMJ and served as a Special Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. He currently prosecutes a broad range of felonies and misdemeanors in General District and Circuit Courts. Mike lives in Lynchburg with his wife and daughter, and is an avid distance runner.
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Rebecca L. Wetzel
rwetzel@ocalynchburg.com
Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney
- B.A., Political Science, Grove
City College; 2001
- J.D., Washington and Lee University; 2004
Rebecca joined the Office of the Commonwealth’s Attorney in August
of 2004, directly after her graduation from law school at Washington
and Lee University in Lexington, VA. Rebecca prosecutes
misdemeanors and felonies in the General District and Circuit Courts
of Lynchburg. She also has experience in the Juvenile and
Domestic Relations Court where she has prosecuted domestic violence
and juvenile felonies. Over the course of her career, Rebecca
has increased her skills by attending numerous schools and classes
both in Virginia and at the National Advocacy Center in Columbia,
South Carolina. Rebecca grew up in Pennsylvania and received her
undergraduate degree from Grove City College in Grove City, PA.
Rebecca resides in the city of Lynchburg. She is an avid sports
fan and enjoys cooking and golfing in her spare time.
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