Case Study Vaso Case

Comments: Vaso continues to carry one of the largest caseloads in this Unit. She has resolved more case than any other prosecutor in the office. Vaso has established and built upon her excellent relationships with nearly every Commonwealth’s Attorney Offices in the Roanoke MFCU region. During this reporting period, she has presented cases in the Cities of Martinsville, Lynchburg, and Radford. In addition, she has presented cases in the Counties of Nelson, Franklin, Rockingham, Henry, and Montgomery. In the past all of these jurisdictions have been hesitant in letting MFCU attorneys handle cases solo. Vaso, through her tenacity and consistent results, has been able to overcome this hesitancy and has been allowed to handle our cases solo. Through her efforts virtually every Commonwealth’s Attorney in the region now allows MFCU cases to be handled with little local involvement.

During this reporting period the Roanoke U.S. Attorney’s Office (USAO) has advised this office that Vaso’s appointment as a Special Assistant United States Attorney (SAUSA) would not be renewed. The basis of this decision was a perception that Vaso had not developed the skill set the USAO views as being required for a SAUSA. By her own admission, Vaso is more comfortable in State …show more content…
Vaso understands that her role as a prosecutor is to seek justice. Toward that end she is willing to make the tough but unpopular calls that a case requires. For example, in the Amir Magsi case, during witness preparation, Vaso uncovered evidence that indicated the defendant was out of the country during the time alleged in the indictment. To resolve this issue Vaso contacted the Department of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and requested that they research the defendant’s foreign travel. ICE verified that the defendant’s passport showed that he was “abroad” during the relevant time