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Fairfax County Circuit Court Chief Judge Penney S. Azcarate will be honored by the local Board of Supervisors ahead of her retirement later this summer.

The 10-member board voted unanimously Tuesday (April 14) to prepare a resolution honoring Azcarate, who will retire June 31 after nearly 20 years as a judge in Fairfax County — including the last 10 as chief judge of the Circuit Court.


News

A student at Fairfax High School was convicted yesterday (Thursday) of assault and battery after being accused of groping more than a dozen of his female classmates.

Israel Christopher Flores Ortiz, an 18-year-old who is currently a junior at the school, was found guilty by a judge on nine misdemeanor counts that stemmed from numerous instances of what prosecutor Jenna Sands described as “grabbing butts.”


News

A Woodbridge man who was previously convicted in Fairfax County for the sexual assault of two minors faces 40 years in prison after coercing dozens of underage victims to send him sexually explicit material.

Malachi Morgan Thomas, 24, pleaded guilty yesterday (Thursday) in federal court to two counts of sexual exploitation of children, as well as one count of possession of child sexual abuse material, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia announced.


News

Fairfax County Public Schools is planning its own investigation separate from the police into allegations that a Fairfax High School student groped multiple female students, Superintendent Michelle Reid announced.

In a letter sent on Monday (March 23) to families, Reid said that FCPS had retained the services of “an independent outside law firm to conduct a comprehensive review of this matter.”


News

A TikTok pastor who was arrested last month claimed that an “evil spirit” was inside a woman’s genitalia before he allegedly sexually assaulted her last November, police said.

Marco Antonio Ocampos Zamora, a 36-year-old Harrisonburg man, reportedly assaulted the woman in Merrifield after coming into contact with her online and offering to give her an in-person “counseling session.”


News

Four men — each younger than 25 years old — were taken into custody last week after a non-fatal shooting in Bailey’s Crossroads, police said.

Officers responded Thursday afternoon (March 19) to the 5500 block of Seminary Road after one man was reported to have been shot. Another man at the scene was reportedly assaulted, according to the Fairfax County Police Department.


News

The Federal Communications Commission announced yesterday (Thursday) that it has approved local television giant Nexstar Media Group’s $6.2 billion takeover of Tysons-based rival Tegna.

Earlier that same day, Virginia Attorney General Jay Jones and his counterparts in seven other states filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court in Sacramento, California, arguing that the merger will illegally reduce competition in journalism and the broadcasting industry while resulting in increased prices and worker layoffs.


News

A former chair of the Fairfax County School Board’s budget committee will return to the panel after a judge tossed out a complaint accusing him of embezzling $175,000 from a company he was a part owner of.

Kyle McDaniel, who served as the budget committee chair for 10 months before stepping down last April, is expected to be appointed vice chair of the committee when the school board meets tonight (Thursday), according to the meeting agenda.


News

A Herndon man will spend eight years in prison after admitting to traveling into D.C. with plans to sexually abuse a 6-year-old child who didn’t actually exist.

Timothy Brockerman, 35, pleaded guilty on Sept. 19, 2025 to traveling with the intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct and was sentenced on March 11 by U.S. District Judge Randolph Moss to 96 months in prison on top of 20 years of supervised release, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for D.C. announced.


News

After an extended hiatus, the Fairfax County Circuit Court will bring back its satellite services next month. This time, however, the pop-up will focus on the southern side of the county instead of the north.

The satellite site will provide select court services at the Gerry Hyland Government Center (8350 Richmond Highway) in Woodlawn from 9 a.m. to noon on the second Tuesday of every month, starting April 14.


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