Democrats fielding Amselle for Warren County sheriff run

Jorge Amselle

Front Royal, VA — Front Royal resident Jorge Amselle announced this week that he is running for Sheriff of Warren County on the Democratic ticket, after the Warren County Democratic Committee named him as their nominee for Warren County Sheriff at their May 31 caucus.

Amselle has over 25 years’ experience in economics, law, public policy, and communications, as well as a decade of working with law enforcement as a security professional and a journalist.

Amselle has a bachelor’s degree in economics and political science from the University of Maryland, College Park, as well as a Juris Master’s in law and public policy from the George Mason School of Law. He also served in the U.S. Army National Guard as an infantryman, though he stated in an October 24, 2018, letter to Royal Examiner supporting Sixth District candidate Jennifer Lewis that he had “never experienced combat” but was familiar with the sacrifices that veteran make for our country.

While Amselle has no experience in law enforcement, he said he sees the job of the top cop of Warren County as an administrative function, stating, “I will bring the perspective of the citizen to this job to ensure accountability and oversight.”

“If elected I will work to promote real criminal justice reform that improves public safety and protects the taxpayer. I will work to bring drug court for first time offenders to Warren County; to decriminalize marijuana; to address the problem of pre-trial detention for misdemeanors; to eliminate cash bail; to oppose mandatory minimum sentences; to restore voting rights for returning citizens; to use diversion instead of incarceration for individuals with mental illness; to support expungement of minor infractions; to reform civil asset forfeiture; and to work with schools and community groups to promote early intervention programs to keep young people out of trouble.”

“We need to stop treating drug addiction as a criminal justice issue and start treating it as a public health issue. Our community needs more taxpayers not more inmates,” he added.