Candidate Profile: T. Marie Walls (Mathews County Commonwealth’s Attorney)

T. Marie Walls is a candidate for Mathews County Commonwealth’s Attorney. Her name will appear on the ballot on November 7, 2023.

Walls is running against A. Conrad Bareford, III.

10 On Your Side reached out to all of the candidates running in this race with specific questions. The responses below came directly from the candidate and are unedited. If you do not see the candidate listed with a profile, we did not receive one.

Name: T. Marie Walls

Age: 56

Race: Mathews County Commonwealth’s Attorney

Website: https://mariewalls.com/

Biography:

Early Background

Marie Walls is a lifelong resident of Virginia and grew up in Williamsburg with her parents and her sister and brothers. She attended the Williamsburg/James City Public Schools starting in kindergarten until she graduated. While growing up in Williamsburg, Marie participated in the art program, band, orchestra, forensics, and softball and basketball. Marie’s father was a Marine and then proudly served in the U.S. Army until his retirement. While he had numerous deployments to Vietnam and also Germany, the family stayed in Williamsburg while he continued his military service. Her mom, who recently passed away, made a home and was the personification of a “homemaker” for them in Williamsburg and created a fun and spirted childhood for all of her children. All of her siblings graduated from Lafayette High School and they all remain close often spending vacations and holidays together.

Education

Marie graduated from Lafayette High School and attended Old Dominion University before transferring to Christopher Newport University where she graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology with Departmental Honors. At Christopher Newport University, Marie was inducted into Psi-Chi, the International Honor Society in Psychology) and she studied on the Baxter I. Bell Scholarship. Each semester, Marie was on the National Dean’s List, Dean’s List, or the President’s List, and she completed research on criminal law with a concentration on the impact of violent crimes. She is extremely proud to have worked while at Old Dominion University and Christopher Newport University and graduating with free of undergraduate debt.

After completing her undergraduate degree, she was happy to attend the University of North Dakota School of Law. After attending the University of North Dakota School of Law and completing a graduate class at Old Dominion University and a class at the William and Mary School of Law, Marie graduated with a Juris Doctorate with Distinction. While at the University of North Dakota, she received the highest grade in Evidence and she received an Award for Best Moot Court Petitioner Team, Best Moot Court Petitioner Brief (Perfect Substance Score), Best Moot Court Speaker (Perfect Oral Scores), and Best Overall Moot Court Team. Marie is also proud that she worked throughout law school and she was able to graduate with minimal school debt that she paid off shortly after starting her legal career.

Early Career

After graduating from law school, Marie took the Virginia Bar and started a public interest law position with legal aid within two (2) weeks of passing the Bar. Initially, she lived on the Eastern Shore as a legal aid attorney and then also worked in the Williamsburg and Hampton Offices of the Peninsula Legal Aid Center, now known at the Legal Aid Society of Eastern Virginia.

After a few years of working as a legal aid attorney, Marie was asked by Christopher Newport University to join them as an Adjunct Professor of Government and Public Affairs. Marie was asked by Profession John Levy, to become an instructor and Adjunct Professor of Law at the William and Mary School of Law. Marie was able to help the victims of domestic violence and to supervise the Domestic Violence Clinic at William and Mary and teach, train, and assist students helping victims obtain orders of protection as well as seek custody and visitation orders as these victims left abusive situations and families.

Marie then became an Adjunct Professor of Law at the William and Mary School of Law and began to lecture on legal skills to first and second year law students on the topics of ethics, legal writing, research, trial skills, appellate procedures, and interviewing of clients and witnesses.

Career as a Prosecutor

After a handful of years with the Peninsula Legal Aid Center, Marie became a prosecutor with the Office of the Suffolk Commonwealth’s Attorney. Within weeks of starting at the Suffolk Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office, Marie quickly transitioned into prosecuting sexual assault cases and also child abuse and neglect cases. It was a perfect fit for Marie who enjoyed working with children to give voices to those that are often under-represented in the criminal law system.

Marie started at the Suffolk Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office as an Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney before being promoted to Senior Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney, and then to the Deputy Commonwealth’s Attorney for the Juvenile Crimes Team. While in Suffolk, Marie was an instructor on courtroom procedure and on sexual assault laws to all new recruits of the Suffolk Police Department. Marie was also a past Participant in FBI Joint Taskforce on Sexual Assault and Computer-Based Sexual Crimes on Children. In addition, she was trained and certified as a prosecutor in interviewing children in a non-biased and appropriate manner. She is a certified instructor on how to interview children related to child abuse and neglect. She became a faculty for the Finding Words-Virginia Program. The Finding Words-Virginia Program trained prosecutors, social service workers, and law enforcement on how to interview children.

In 2007, Marie left prosecuting to become the Executive Director for the Child Abuse Program at Children’s Hospital of The King’s Daughters. While there, Marie was responsible for the overall operation and direction of the Child Abuse Program. While enjoying her work at the Child Abuse Program at Children’s Hospital of The King’s Daughters, Marie felt compelled to return to her true calling as a prosecutor and she returned to the Suffolk Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office in 2008. When she returned, she initially became Suffolk’s Gang Prosecutor and she was instrumental in preparing a memorandum to City Council seeking additional funding for gang-related prosecution and law enforcement. After doing the first statewide presentation on the prosecution of gang violence in coordination with the Virginia Attorney General’s Office, Marie transitioned back into supervision of the Juvenile Crime Team.

Soon after in 2019, Marie became the first Chief Deputy Commonwealth’s Attorney in Suffolk. As the Chief Deputy Commonwealth’s Attorney, Marie was responsible for overseeing and supervising a staff of over thirty (30) prosecutors, investigators, legal assistants, community outreach coordinator, and victim/witness personnel. Marie was primarily responsible for prosecuting sexual assault crimes, child abuse crimes, and homicides involving children

In 2021, Marie became the Chief Deputy Commonwealth’s Attorney for Gloucester County. In Gloucester, Marie has expanded her knowledge of all crimes given that Gloucester is a smaller office where all of the attorneys do each and every type of crime from shoplifting and DUIs, to crimes of violence and homicides. While in Gloucester, Marie has done everything from shoplifting to DUI to homicides cases. Her first jury in Gloucester resulted in a life sentence for the sexual assault of a five (5) year old child. Marie is happy to have joined the staff of over eleven (11) prosecutors, legal assistants, victim/witness personnel, and interns in Gloucester. Marie has enjoyed practicing within the Ninth Judicial Circuit and working in a smaller, more collegial county.

Marie’s Time in Mathews

In June of 2021, Marie purchased a small cottage in Mathews. She and her son, Keegan, officially moved into the cottage on the day before he started fourth grade at Mathews Elementary School. Keegan is now a sixth grader at Thomas Hunter Middle School. They attend the Francis de Sales Church in Mathews. Marie and Keegan love their church family and Sunday has been a time of friendship, fellowship, and learning. Since relocating to Mathews, Marie has volunteered at the Governor’s School last summer presenting to children from Mathews and the surrounding areas. She has also presented to Gloucester Middle School Students, volunteered for the Bay Arts School, is a member of the Mathews Lion’s Club. Marie also joined the PTA when her son started school. The only role that Marie values more than her role as a prosecutor is that of being a mom.

Answers to WAVY TV 10’s Questions:

Why are you running for this office?

When the elected in Mathews decided to retire and was an opportunity to effect change in a small county. A place where children can still walk to the public library after school and neighbors know each other by name. Marie’s heart is driven towards prosecuting and she looks forward to partnering with the sheriff after the election to help foster a safe community and address the criminal legal issues confronting Mathews as well as most of Virginia.

What is the most significant issue facing criminal prosecution and what will you do to address it?

In the Middle Peninsula region, drugs are a central issue and drug usage in Mathews impacts all community members in some shape or fashion. The impact can be direct or indirect. Drug usage impacts families and often can lead to other crimes. Marie’s plan is to work with the Sheriff’s Office and the Courts to try to establish a Drug Court Program in our area. It will absolutely not fix all of the drug-related issues; however, if we can help at least one person struggling with drug addiction, then we have impacted that individual, their family, friends, and the community.

Will you still value constituents and or fellow politicians with whom you disagree?

It is important that we learn to listen and actually hear what others say even if they do not agree with our viewpoint or mirror our values. We have two (2) ears and one (1) mouth, so perhaps we should listen twice as much as we talk but certainly part of our culture has grown to embrace those who talk louder, uglier, and without regard to the feelings of another. There is a small segment of people on both sides of the political aisle that characterize this trend. Marie does not characterize or embrace this trend. Marie believes we should treat everyone with respect and courtesy, especially those that have differing viewpoints than ours.