JAMES A. DEVITA
DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATE FOR THE VIRGINIA STATE SENATE, 40TH DISTRICT
PRIMARY ELECTION DATE:
JUNE 20, 2023
JAMES A. DEVITA
DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATE FOR THE VIRGINIA STATE SENATE, 40TH DISTRICT
PRIMARY ELECTION DATE:
JUNE 20, 2023
WHO IS JAMES DEVITA?
I have been a Trial Lawyer for 40 years handling criminal, family, traffic, employment, immigration, bankruptcy, and civil rights cases. I have worked for the U.S. Department of Justice, the D.C. Attorney General’s Office, private law firms and for myself. I am currently representing SEVEN BLACK LIVES MATTER PROTESTERS in a case before the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.
ON THE ISSUES
I WILL BE AN ADVOCATE AND SEEK TO PASS LAWS ON THESE ISSUES:
BLACK LIVES MATTER
I have been a lawyer on both sides of police brutality cases. I represented the Metropolitan Police Department and its officers when I worked for the D.C. Attorney General’s Office and I have also represented people who claim that they were falsely arrested and subjected to excessive force. There is no doubt that the police have a very difficult job. On the other hand, nobody should be subjected to excessive force. I think the problem is that neither side sees the other as people. We need to get the police involved in the communities they are sworn to protect and serve so that each side sees the other as people. We also need to develop new ways to apprehend criminals that are not dependent on excessive and\or lethal force.
WHAT I WILL DO: Get the police involved in and responsive to the communities they are policing Develop new and non-lethal methods of apprehending criminals.
NOBODY SHOULD BE HUNGRY
This is a rich country. NO ONE in this country should suffer from hunger. The federal government has programs which provide free lunches to kids at school. We need to EXPAND on that and offer free breakfasts, free meals after school, and free meals on weekends and in the summer.
WHAT I WILL DO: Expand existing programs for the hungry, especially children
NOBODY SHOULD BE HOMELESS
NOBODY in this country should be living on the street. And we are not going to solve this problem simply by building shelters. We need to focus on the root causes of the problem, mental illness, drug addiction, and poverty. We need a HOLISTIC APPROACH.
WHAT I WILL DO: Build shelters, Create drug treatment & job training programs for the homeless.
WORKING MOTHERS ARE THE BACKBONE OF THE NATION
A lack of affordable daycare makes it virtually impossible for women with small children to work. We should provide free daycare to lower-income families so both parents can work.
WHAT I WILL DO: Provide free daycare for low-income families through the public schools.
WE NEED GUN CONTROL! NOW!
13,959 people have DIED due to gun violence this year. There have been 184 MASS SHOOTINGS. 6000 CHILDREN were hurt or killed due to gun violence 1n 2022. 115 people are killed EVERY DAY in this country due to gun violence.
WHAT I WILL DO: Seek to pass laws that will BAN AUTOMATIC WEAPONS NOBODY IN THIS COUNTY NEEDS AN AUTOMATIC WEAPON FOR SELF-DEFENSE!
WE ARE ALL CUSTODIANS OF THE EARTH
Electric cars and solar power ARE now practical. I drive an electric car and it gets me everywhere I need to go. It also costs far less to operate than a gas-powered car since it is not dependent on gasoline and since electric vehicles also eliminate the need for tune-ups and maintenance. The only problem with electric cars and solar power is the initial cost to buy them. Tax credits will help.
WHAT I WILL DO: Create tax credits for the installation of solar power and the purchase of electric cars.
IT’S WRONG TO HATE SOMEONE FOR BEING WHO THEY ARE
Why do some people hate lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people? EVERYONE deserves to be treated with respect. It’s OKAY to be different.
WHAT I WILL DO: Promote tolerance for people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual and transexual. I will advocate for the passage of the Equality Act which will expand Title VII and other federal laws in order to prohibit discrimination against LGBTQ people in employment, housing, consumer transactions, jury service, federally funded programs, stores and restaurants.
AMERICA IS A NATION OF IMMIGRANTS
China is a powerful country not because the Chinese work harder or have superior technology. China is powerful simply because it has over a billion people. We need MORE legal immigration.
WHAT I WILL DO: Create more opportunities for legal immigration.
WORKING PEOPLE DESERVE A LIVING WAGE
Restaurant workers’ base pay is the federal minimum wage which is $7.25 per hour! Although Virginia’s minimum wage is $12.00 per hour or $24,960.00 per year, the cost of living is $42,757.00. You do the math.
WHAT I WILL DO: Raise the minimum wage, create a minimum wage for restaurant employees.
WE NEED TO RETHINK THE WAR ON DRUGS
We have been fighting the war on drugs in this country forever and we have ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to show for it. Drugs keep flowing into this country and drug abuse has only gotten worse. We can’t solve this problem simply by throwing someone in a jail cell. What we need to do is to mandate that people who are arrested for drug possession receive treatment rather than jail time because that is the only way we are going to get at the root of the problem.
WHAT I WILL DO: Create Drug Courts, change sentencing laws for drug possession so that people convicted of drug possession receive treatment rather than incarceration.
EXTREMISM IS KILLING THIS COUNTRY
The United States has become highly polarized. We need to STOP ALL OF THE HATE. We need to find a way to reach out to those who disagree with us and end the dangerous extremism that has been plaguing this country.
WHAT I WILL DO: Reach out to people who disagree with me to try reduce hate.
MY BODY, MY CHOICE
ABORTION - I support a WOMAN’S RIGHT TO CHOOSE.
WHAT I WILL DO: SUPPORT LAWS THAT PROTECT A WOMAN’S RIGHT TO CHOOSE.
ON THE ISSUES
I WILL BE AN ADVOCATE AND SEEK TO PASS LAWS ON THESE ISSUES:
BLACK LIVES MATTER
I have been a lawyer on both sides of police brutality cases. I represented the Metropolitan Police Department and its officers when I worked for the D.C. Attorney General’s Office and I have also represented people who claim that they were falsely arrested and subjected to excessive force. There is no doubt that the police have a very difficult job. On the other hand, nobody should be subjected to excessive force. I think the problem is that neither side sees the other as people. We need to get the police involved in the communities they are sworn to protect and serve so that each side sees the other as people. We also need to develop new ways to apprehend criminals that are not dependent on excessive and\or lethal force.
WHAT I WILL DO: Get the police involved in and responsive to the communities they are policing Develop new and non-lethal methods of apprehending criminals.
NOBODY SHOULD BE HUNGRY
This is a rich country. NO ONE in this country should suffer from hunger. The federal government has programs which provide free lunches to kids at school. We need to EXPAND on that and offer free breakfasts, free meals after school, and free meals on weekends and in the summer.
WHAT I WILL DO: Expand existing programs for the hungry, especially children
NOBODY SHOULD BE HOMELESS
NOBODY in this country should be living on the street. And we are not going to solve this problem simply by building shelters. We need to focus on the root causes of the problem, mental illness, drug addiction, and poverty. We need a HOLISTIC APPROACH.
WHAT I WILL DO: Build shelters, Create drug treatment & job training programs for the homeless.
WORKING MOTHERS ARE THE BACKBONE OF THE NATION
A lack of affordable daycare makes it virtually impossible for women with small children to work. We should provide free daycare to lower-income families so both parents can work.
WHAT I WILL DO: Provide free daycare for low-income families through the public schools.
WE NEED GUN CONTROL! NOW!
13,959 people have DIED due to gun violence this year. There have been 184 MASS SHOOTINGS. 6000 CHILDREN were hurt or killed due to gun violence 1n 2022. 115 people are killed EVERY DAY in this country due to gun violence.
WHAT I WILL DO: Seek to pass laws that will BAN AUTOMATIC WEAPONS NOBODY IN THIS COUNTY NEEDS AN AUTOMATIC WEAPON FOR SELF-DEFENSE!
WE ARE ALL CUSTODIANS OF THE EARTH
Electric cars and solar power ARE now practical. I drive an electric car and it gets me everywhere I need to go. It also costs far less to operate than a gas-powered car since it is not dependent on gasoline and since electric vehicles also eliminate the need for tune-ups and maintenance. The only problem with electric cars and solar power is the initial cost to buy them. Tax credits will help.
WHAT I WILL DO: Create tax credits for the installation of solar power and the purchase of electric cars.
IT’S WRONG TO HATE SOMEONE FOR BEING WHO THEY ARE
Why do some people hate lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people? EVERYONE deserves to be treated with respect. It’s OKAY to be different.
WHAT I WILL DO: Promote tolerance for people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual and transexual. I will advocate for the passage of the Equality Act which will expand Title VII and other federal laws in order to prohibit discrimination against LGBTQ people in employment, housing, consumer transactions, jury service, federally funded programs, stores and restaurants.
AMERICA IS A NATION OF IMMIGRANTS
China is a powerful country not because the Chinese work harder or have superior technology. China is powerful simply because it has over a billion people. We need MORE legal immigration.
WHAT I WILL DO: Create more opportunities for legal immigration.
WORKING PEOPLE DESERVE A LIVING WAGE
Restaurant workers’ base pay is the federal minimum wage which is $7.25 per hour! Although Virginia’s minimum wage is $12.00 per hour or $24,960.00 per year, the cost of living is $42,757.00. You do the math.
WHAT I WILL DO: Raise the minimum wage, create a minimum wage for restaurant employees.
WE NEED TO RETHINK THE WAR ON DRUGS
We have been fighting the war on drugs in this country forever and we have ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to show for it. Drugs keep flowing into this country and drug abuse has only gotten worse. We can’t solve this problem simply by throwing someone in a jail cell. What we need to do is to mandate that people who are arrested for drug possession receive treatment rather than jail time because that is the only way we are going to get at the root of the problem.
WHAT I WILL DO: Create Drug Courts, change sentencing laws for drug possession so that people convicted of drug possession receive treatment rather than incarceration.
EXTREMISM IS KILLING THIS COUNTRY
The United States has become highly polarized. We need to STOP ALL OF THE HATE. We need to find a way to reach out to those who disagree with us and end the dangerous extremism that has been plaguing this country.
WHAT I WILL DO: Reach out to people who disagree with me to try reduce hate.
MY BODY, MY CHOICE
ABORTION - I support a WOMAN’S RIGHT TO CHOOSE.
WHAT I WILL DO: SUPPORT LAWS THAT PROTECT A WOMAN’S RIGHT TO CHOOSE.
I NEED YOUR HELP:
IF YOU BELIEVE IN THE SAME THINGS I DO, PLEASE DONATE TO MY CAMPAIGN. I NEED CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTIONS AND VOLUNTEERS IN ORDER TO WIN.
James A. DeVita
2111 Wilson Boulevard, Suite 700
Arlington, Virginia 22201
571-338-2444 (telephone)
jdevitalaw@gmail.com (email)
PAID FOR AND AUTHORIZED BY DEVITA FOR SENATE