Timothy A. Martin

Commonwealth’s Attorney - tmartin@co.augusta.va.us

• B.A. Mary Washington University, 2000
• M.S. Virginia Commonwealth University (Criminal Justice), 2003
• J.D. University of Richmond School of Law, cum laude, 2007

Tim Martin became the Commonwealth’s Attorney for Augusta County in 2015, after unseating a 33-year incumbent in a contested election. Tim ran as the Republican nominee for the position, however, he has always maintained that the pursuit of justice is a vocation that transcends party politics. Tim heads an office of five attorneys, four paralegal/support staff, and three victim/witness advocate staff. Tim’s mission upon assuming office has been to restore public confidence in the office of Commonwealth’s Attorney in Augusta County by building a team of highly-skilled, professional and dedicated attorneys and support staff to seek justice, hold offenders accountable for their crimes, and improve public safety for the citizens of Augusta County.  As part of this mission, upon assuming office, Tim collaborated with Augusta County’s newly-elected Sheriff Donald Smith, to reexamine cold cases that the previous administration declined to prosecute.  Through the concerted efforts of the Sherriff’s Office and Tim’s prosecution team, Tim was able to bring two murderers to justice: Melvin Spencer, who shot his wife to death in 2003, and David Vatter, who poisoned his wife to death with antifreeze in 2014.  (See the following editorial by the Newsleader to read more about these two cases and Tim’s efforts to seek justice for the families of forgotten victims link).

An avid cyclist and skier, Tim played tennis for the University of Mary Washington, earning a bachelor of arts in political science.  He earned a master’s degree in criminal justice from Virginia Commonwealth University in 2003, before heading to the University of Richmond School of Law for his juris doctor degree.  After graduating law school with honors, Tim began his legal career in 2007 at the City of Richmond’s Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office.  There he served for seven years, prosecuting a wide variety of misdemeanors and felonies and developing a specialization in the prosecution of violent crime.  Tim moved to Augusta County 2014 and served as an Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney for the city of Staunton until assuming office as Augusta County’s Commonwealth’s Attorney on January 1, 2016.

In addition to serving as Augusta County’s elected Commonwealth’s Attorney, Tim currently serves as the Chairman of the Blue Ridge Criminal Justice Board and has served as an adjunct instructor at the University of Richmond, Mary Baldwin University, and most recently, James Madison University, teaching a course entitled “The Prosecution of Violent Crime.”  He lives in Augusta County, with his wife Melinda, and their four children.