Cheryl Minter Drives 12,000-Signature Recall Bid Against Fairfax Prosecutor Steve Descano
Updated
Updated · Fox News · Aug 27
Cheryl Minter Drives 12,000-Signature Recall Bid Against Fairfax Prosecutor Steve Descano
3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Aug 27
Summary
More than 12,000 signatures have been gathered in a bid to recall Fairfax County Commonwealth’s Attorney Steve Descano after Cheryl Minter blamed his office’s decisions for her daughter Stephanie’s killing.
Stephanie Minter, 41, was stabbed to death at a Fairfax bus stop earlier this year; Abdul Jalloh, a Sierra Leone immigrant accused in the case, had more than 30 prior arrests and charges, according to the petition.
Minter argues Descano repeatedly let Jalloh “walk” despite convictions and other charges, saying her daughter’s death was a preventable result of lenient prosecution rather than an isolated failure.
Descano’s office said it is prosecuting Jalloh for murder, noting he was indicted last week and is scheduled to go to trial in January 2027.
Virginia law requires recall organizers to prove legal grounds in court and submit valid signatures equal to 10% of votes cast in the last election, making the campaign both a local test and a broader challenge to soft-on-crime prosecutors.