Elizabeth L Tuomey

Elizabeth has been litigating since law school, where she won her first trial as a student with the Georgetown University Juvenile Justice Clinic, defending juveniles in delinquency matters before the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. Elizabeth has been a defender from the first day of law school, having worked at the Fairfax County and Alexandria City Public Defender offices, as well as interning with the Office of the Pardon Attorney for the United States Department of Justice. After graduation and passing the bar, she became an Assistant Public Defender for the City of Fredericksburg and the Counties of Stafford, Spotsylvania, and King George. After gaining significant trial experience there, she entered private practice in 2004, handling cases in Arlington County, Fairfax County, Prince William County, and Loudoun County. During private practice Elizabeth has continued to try cases in all levels of the Virginia Courts, including many jury trials. She has also worked on appeals to the Virginia Court of Appeals and the Supreme Court of Virginia, most significantly participating in the successful appeal of Paiz v. Commonwealth of Virginia, published at 54 Va. App. 688 (2009), in the Court of Appeals of Virginia, and Henderson v. Commonwealth, 285 Va. 318 (2013), in the Supreme Court of Virginia.

From 2020-2024, Elizabeth served the citizens of Arlington County in the Prosecutor’s office, serving as a Deputy Commonwealth’s Attorney. In that role, she coordinated matters involving mental health and substance use disorder, prosecuted two murder cases through completion, as well as charges such as malicious wounding, carjacking, robbery, burglary, drug distribution cases and gun possession charges.

Elizabeth is now handling special education matters, due to her personal experience with a child with a disability. Elizabeth has represented hundreds of clients throughout Virginia, and believes that personal representation is the only effective representation

• Special Education Law

Virginia

Virginia State Bar

ID Number: 48488

Georgetown University Law Center

J.D. (2002)

1999 - 2002

Activities: Juvenile Justice Clinic

Villanova University

B.S. (1999) | Business Admin/Finance

1995 - 1999

Honors: Summa Cum Laude

Activities: Varsity Swim Team

Virginia State Bar  # 48488

Member

Current

Virginia Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (VACDL)

Member

Current

Q. 17-year-old wants to drop charges against 23-year-old boyfriend in VA

March 4, 2025

A: Only the prosecutor can drop the charge. The case against the boyfriend is Commonwealth of Virginia v. [Boyfriend's name]. The prosecutor represents the state. Your friend can certainly give her input to the prosecutor and the judge; she has a right to give a "victim" impact statement (orally or in writing) directly to the judge if she so chooses.