Joan Ziglar: Commonwealth's Attorney for the City of Martinsville

Protecting the Citizens of Martinsville since 1998
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Joan Ziglar, Commonwealth’s Attorney

Assistants | Support Staff | Victim-Witness | Investigator

Joan Ziglar, Commonwealth’s Attorney

Joan Ziglar took office as the Commonwealth’s Attorney for the City of Martinsville on January 1, 1998, and has served in that capacity since that time. Ms. Ziglar has extensive experience in public service and public administration, skills that she has brought to her role as Commonwealth’s Attorney and which she will continue to bring in future terms.

Education

Legal Experience

Professional Memberships

Assistants

Donald Goodman, Deputy Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney

Donald Goodman joined the Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office in 2006, shortly after taking the bar exam. A native of Western New York State, Donald moved to Virginia during high school and has been here ever since. He graduated from Christendom College in Front Royal, Virginia, in 2003, with a bachelor’s degree in history, then obtained his J.D. from the College of William and Mary in 2006. He is the Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office representative to several groups, including the local gang intelligence group and the local Crisis Intervention Team (designed to keep mentally ill persons in mental health treatment, where they can receive the help they need, rather than in the criminal justice system). He was recently appointed a Special Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Virginia, enabling him to prosecute offenses arising in Martinsville in the federal courts. He is also active in his church, St. Joseph’s, and is the financial secretary of the local Knights of Columbus council, along with assisting in local Cub Scout Pack 63. In the past he has also coached Martinsville Parks and Recreation t-ball teams. He recently celebrated his tenth wedding anniversary, and he lives here in the City with his wife and their five children.

Paula Bowen, Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney

After competing her undergraduate work at Liberty University here in Virginia, Paula Bowen graduated from Mississippi College School of Law in 2005. She worked in Lynchburg until 2006, when she moved to Martinsville to become an Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney. She is the Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court attorney, but also prosecutes cases in the General District Court and the Circuit Court. Paula served as a Circuit Representative for the Young Lawyers of Martinsville/Henry County/Patrick County, during which she received the Significant Service Award for the Young Lawyers’ Conference of the Virginia State Bar. She is also involved with HEY (Helping Engage Youth). Paula has also been instrumental in the development and management of the shoplifting diversion program, which she diligently manages.

Alberto Herrero, Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney

Alberto “Al” Herrero is a relative newcomer to prosecution. Joining the Martinsville Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office in 2011, he has been fortunate to work on a wide variety of interesting cases from attempted murder to rape, abduction, and other serious felonies. Alberto had wanted to be a lawyer since his college days at U.Va undergraduate and law school, but back then it was the defense side of things that attracted his attention. In fact, he practiced as an assistant public defender in the Town of Luray, and in the 1990s he joined the Portsmouth Public Defender’s Office and began to handle heavier and more complicated case loads. Al left the law entirely for a while to explore some religious vocations, but happily found his way back a few years ago. In his time off, Al enjoys nature walks with his wife, chess, and reading.

Support Staff

Renay Hairston

Renay Hairston is the administrative assistant of the Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office, where she had been employed for the past twenty years. Her duties include providing administrative support for attorneys practicing in Circuit Court and managing the office’s finances. In addition, she supervises the other support staff. Renay has continued her education to make herself more effective as an administrative assistant. As part of the Commonwealth’s Attorney’s mission to volunteer within the community, she has served on several boards in the past (HEY/CHILL, the Drug Task Force, the Martinsville City Public School Endowment Fund) and is currently the Swim Coordinator for the “Let’s Swim” Program.

Sandra Gentry

Sandra P. Gentry has been a paralegal for the Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office since 2000. Her many duties include preparing the attorneys for misdemeanor and felony court cases, pulling prior convictions, running criminal histories and DMV transcripts, filing, and on occasion interviewing victims and witnesses. She is a member of the SALT (Seniors and Law Enforcement Together), National Night Out, and a board member of the Virginia Coalition for the Prevention of Elder Abuse (VCPEA). In the past twelve years, Sandra has participated in numerous training opportunities provided to her through the Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office. She is married with two children and a member of Agape Bible Christian Fellowship where she is the Church Financial Secretary and part of the Audio-Video ministry with her husband. She enjoys spending time with her family, making people laugh, and surfing the net.

Nancy Sherman

Nancy joined the Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office as a paralegal in 2006. A few of her job responsibilities include preparing attorneys for court, meeting with victims and witnesses, screening cases with law enforcement, preparing sentencing guidelines, managing appellate briefs, and assisting the public with a smile. As part of her job responsibilities, Nancy is involved in “HEY! (Helping Engage Youth) which is a coalition of dedicated organizations and individuals, who partner with CHILL (Communities Helping Improve Local Lives) to empower youth and families to make positive lifestyle choices. We provide training, education, outreach and resources to implement effective strategies to prevent substance abuse.” For more information about the Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office’s involvement with CHILL, see our community page; also see the CHILL web page..

Cathy Burton

Cathy Burton joined the Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office in 2012, and is usually the first person you see when you arrive. Along with secretarial duties, Cathy monitors defendants put on good behavior as well as the shoplifting diversion program, and also assists the paralegals and attorneys in the office with court preparation. She is also on the board of Drug Free Martinsville Henry County. A native of Stuart in nearby Patrick County, Cathy graduated from Patrick County High School in 1977 with a secretarial/business major. She moved to the Martinsville area in 1978 to work in the office of American of Martinsville and then Pannill Knitting Co. Later she worked in medical billing and insurance for a local medical facility. Cathy is the Creative Arts Director at Freedom Baptist Church and sings in the choir and praise team. She enjoys acting, having recently played Martha in the local theater production of Arsenic and Old Lace. Along with theater, she enjoys spending time with family, travelling with her husband and her twin grandsons, baseball, hiking, biking, and her dog, Gabby.

Victim-Witness Program

Vicky Belcher

Vicky Belcher became assistant director of the Martinsville Victim Witness program in 1998, and director in 2000. She is originally from Floyd, Virginia, and has over twenty-five years experience in the legal field. Vicky is a certified member of the NOVA Basic Crisis Response Team, and has served as such in the Virginia Tech shooting of April 2007. She responded to and organized a team to assist the victims of the Spruce Village arson in 2012, and most recently she responded to the New River Community College shootings. She has assisted with the Delvin Hairston Memorial Scholarship in their mission to honor the memory of their loved one and to make fun and educational activities available to the children of the community. Thanks to her leadership, in 2012 the Martinsville Victim Witness Program received the Program of the Year award from the Criminal Injuries Compensation Fund in Richmond. She considers her current job the most rewarding of her career. Although she meets people through some pretty horrific circumstances, the victims and witnesses she encounters will remain in her heart forever. Many continue to remain in touch with her and the staff long after their cases are complete.

Joyce Laine

Joyce graduated from Ferrum College in 1980 and gained employment as a probation officer with the Virginia Department of Corrections. Joyce retired after a thirty-year career as a Probation and Parole Officer for the Commonwealth of Virginia. In September 2013 she accepted a position as part-time Assistant Director of the Martinsville Victim Witness Program. Her experiences as a probation officer have afforded her many opportunities to work with victims, offenders, and members of the law enforcement community, where she has witnessed firsthand the impact that crime can have on victims and their families. Over the years Joyce has worked with various community organizations and served on several boards, and she presently serves on the board of the Community Recovery Program. In her free time, Joyce enjoys reading, walking, spending time at the beach, and having fun with family and friends. Joyce is a definite “people person” who believes that all voices should be heard and that smiles and laughter are an important part of a balanced life.

Investigator

Reggie Gravely

Reggie Gravely is a graduate of Laurel Park High School and a veteran of the U.S. Army. He retired from the Martinsville Police Department after over twenty-six years of service in January 2013, when he joined the Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office. He works as an investigator, which involves interviewing victims and witnesses, reviewing criminal cases, locating witnesses, and other investigative assignments. Reggie has a twenty-two-year-old son, Ryan, who lives in Christiansburg. He enjoys spending time with his parents, a nice outing on the golf course, and relaxing with his two-year-old Boxer, Diva. Reggie brings many years of experience to this office, and his wisdom and knowledge are true assets.