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
July 2002 and was promoted to Deputy Commonwealth’s Attorney in
April 2006. He prosecutes a broad range of felonies and misdemeanors
in both General District and Circuit Courts and serves as a
supervisor for adult crimes. Jeff has received trial advocacy
training at the National College of District Attorneys in Columbia,
South Carolina. He has also completed specialized training courses
for prosecution of homicide and major drug cases at the “Murder 1”
and “Top Gun” schools in Williamsburg, Virginia. Prior to practicing
law, Jeff worked as a journalist assigned to the Pentagon and
Capitol Hill in Washington, DC. Originally from Chesterfield, he
currently lives in Amherst with his wife, daughter, and assorted
pets. In his spare time Jeff is 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 one wonderful daughter 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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 Shannon
L. Hadeed
shadeed@ocalynchburg.com
Community Prosecutor / Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney
- B.A., Public Policy, Occidental College; 1998
- J.D., College of William and Mary; 2004
Shannon joined the office in August 2004. In
addition to prosecuting a variety of felonies and misdemeanors,
Shannon’s job includes a grass-roots approach to justice, involving
citizens, law enforcement, and other government agencies in
problem-solving efforts to address the safety concerns of the local
jurisdiction. Before attending law school, she was a Peace Corps
Volunteer in the Dominican Republic. While at the College of
William and Mary, Shannon was the Editor-in-Chief of the law school
newspaper. She received the university’s Rex Smith award for
excellence in journalism and a Dean’s Certificate from the law
school for an outstanding contribution to the law school community.
Shannon spends her spare time fishing, twisting herself up in yoga,
and being walked by her dog. |
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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 Gretchen
G. Hutt
ghutt@ocalynchburg.com
Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney
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B.S., English (summa cum laude), Radford University; 1997
- J.D., University
of Richmond; 2001
Gretchen joined the Office of the Commonwealth’s Attorney in July
2002 as member of the domestic violence and juvenile prosecution
unit. She now prosecutes a wide array of misdemeanors and felonies
in the General District and Circuit Courts, specializing in the
prosecution of arson and other violent crime. Gretchen
has received trial advocacy and cross examination training at the
National College of District Attorneys in Columbia, South Carolina and has also
completed specialized training courses in arson and illegal drug
prosecution at the National Advocacy Center. Prior
to coming to
Lynchburg, she worked in
private practice in Richmond, Virginia.
Gretchen is an avid horse enthusiast who also volunteers her time
working with at-risk youth through the city’s YES program.
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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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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 (magna cum laude), Grove
City College; 2001
- J.D., Washington and Lee University; 2004
Rebecca joined the Office of the Commonwealth’s Attorney in August of 2004. Rebecca prosecutes misdemeanors and felonies in the General District and Circuit Courts. She also has extensive experience in the Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court, where she prosecuted domestic violence and juvenile felonies. While in law school at Washington and Lee University in Lexington, VA, Rebecca gained clinical experience at the Community Legal Practice Center, which provides legal assistance to the underprivileged in the area of domestic relations law. Rebecca grew up in Pennsylvania and received her undergraduate degree from Grove City College in Grove City, PA. Rebecca is an avid sports fan, and she enjoys writing in her spare time.
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