Just sworn in and now in charge, the new Commonwealth Attorney for the Arlington and City of Falls Church circuit court has signaled her intention to discontinue the prosecution of persons charged with possession of small amounts of marijuana for personal use.

According to News-Press sources, a case later this week could mark the first occasion for Parisa Dehghani-Tafti, who defeated incumbent Theo Stamos in a hotly-contested Democratic primary last June and sailed to election in November, to exercise her office’s new policy. She will be acting in concert with Fairfax County’s new Commonwealth Attorney Steve Descano, who also defeated a long-term Democratic incumbent last June.

Arlington-Falls Church Clerk of the Court Paul Ferguson explains with a guest commentary in this week’s edition of the News-Press.