Lawyers, others honored as victim rights advocates

Three lawyers are among six victims’ advocates honored this month by state Attorney General Mark R. Herring.

Herring’s “Unsung Heroes” awards recognize Virginians dedicated to serving crime victims and advocating for their rights.

The 2019 recipients of the award are:

• Salem attorney Lalita Brim-Poindexter. She assists victims with protective orders and handles child custody disputes. She serves as a guardian ad litem for children and provides volunteer legal consultations and other pro bono services through a Roanoke Valley nonprofit.
• Steve W. Edwards. He is the deputy commonwealth’s attorney for Isle of Wight County and has prosecuted crimes against children and sexual assault cases for more than 20 years.
• Carly N. Mee. A senior staff attorney at SurvJustice in Washington, she provides direct legal assistance to survivors of violence in the campus, civil and criminal systems. In 2017, she assisted law firm Steptoe & Johnson in creating a new victim advocate privilege in federal court. She is a liaison to the American Bar Association commission on domestic and sexual violence.
• Anita Gonzalez, the founder of Peninsula Families United Together
• Brad Roop, the crimes-against-children detective with the Washington County Sheriff’s Office.
• Kristina Vadas, the victim services programs manager at the state Department of Criminal Justice Services.