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Posted on 11/10/2026 5:22:32 AM PST by DFG
A new law went into effect in Virginia that makes it easier for accused criminals to seal their alleged crimes from public view.
Supporters insist the idea behind the law was to help accused and convicted criminals get jobs and housing. But the new law also makes it more difficult for the public to find out if prosecutors botched or dropped cases and allowed criminals to walk free.
There have been some cases where 7News has shown Fairfax County Commonwealth’s Attorney Steve Descano and his office making major mistakes or dropping charges in cases like Abdul Jalloh, who is now accused of murdering a single mother – and a total stranger - earlier this year.
But under this new Clean Slate law, those mistakes, dropped charges, or lenient plea deals can be hidden from the public.
For instance, today, this new law blocked 7News from seeing what happened in a sexual assault case.
The Fairfax County Police Department issued a press release in 2024 announcing officers arrested 47-year-old rideshare driver Sayed Cheshty. FCPD said a woman reported that Cheshty sexually assaulted her after he picked her up.
7News wanted to know what happened in that case. So, 7News Reporter Nick Minock went on the Virginia court case search database online – as you can – and typed his name, but no results showed up as if the case never existed.
7News went to the courthouse and looked up his name on a court computer, but it said the case was sealed and could only be accessed with a court order. 7News went to the clerk’s office, and they told us the suspect requested the case be sealed after charges were dropped. The judge sealed it last month after Virginia’s Clean Slate law went into effect.
Sean Kennedy is the President of Virginians for Safe Communities.
“It does not allow judge review,” said Kennedy. “If the prosecutor petitions for this and agrees to a sealing, the judge must. It is a shall, not a may. The prosecutor can either object or the prosecutor can agree. And if they consent to it, it goes away. The judge has no ability to say no.”
7News asked Descano’s office if they asked for the judge to seal the case. We are waiting for an answer.
“This is a recipe for disaster,” said Kennedy. “It allows people to cover up their own incompetence. And that's exactly what's happening right here in this courthouse. The current prosecutor gets to cover up when he screws up. This is not about giving redemption to people who are wrongfully accused or were adjudicated and cleared. This is about when they screw up and somebody's guilty as sin and they get off. All of that gets hidden from the public. This isn't about redemption. This is about transparency. And there's none of it under this law.”
7News asked Democratic Virginia Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell about the law he helped pass.
“That's been a problem with the law,” said Surovell. “It's been pointed out to us in the last 90 days. And that's actually something that we're thinking about addressing. Because the intent of the law was not for the public not to be able to see why a case was dismissed, especially if it was for prosecutorial misconduct or police misconduct or somebody makes a mistake in trial. The intent was to try to save people the effort of having to go through the process and paying a lawyer and getting an expungement when they're not guilty.”
Senator Surovell says he will bring these issues up at the next crime commission meeting in Richmond. And he told 7News he’s looking at changing the law.
7News asked Uber and Lyft if Cheshty is still driving for their companies. Uber hasn’t said. Lyft said the last ride he gave on Lyft was in 2017, and he was removed from the platform in 2024 when the company heard about the sexual assault case. Lyft said the incident didn’t happen on the Lyft platform.
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Democrats protecting rapists is a new level of hypocrisy.
Democrats thinking ahead to protect themselves from scrutiny.
Yes: protecting criminals and Democrats from future scrutiny (but I repeat myself).
Senator Surovell says he will bring these issues up at the next crime commission meeting.
Next on the agenda is How Do We Hide Things...........
Democrats can’t stay in power without criminals, so they protect them.
Good to know in Virginia your new neighbor may be a child predator and/or rapist - and you will never be informed.
Many organizations, including one I volunteer with require a criminal background check. It’s very common for those with even a minor blemish to downplay the seriousness of the crime. It’s going to get really bad for us if people with serious backgrounds can cover them up legally.
Virginia may be gone.
Your Uber driver may be a sex offender.
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