[1]
Albemarle County’s poster child for bad behavior—Democrat Chris Dumler—is a fugitive from the law.
The disgraced Scottsville District Supervisor pled guilty [2] to sexual battery on January 31 and served a total of 30 days in the Albemarle Charlottesville Regional Jail. He resigned his seat [3] on the Albemarle County Board of Supervisors on June 5, following a protracted petition [4] for removal and subsequent trial. While, Dumler prevailed [5] in the petition case against him, he remained the target of relentless calls for resignation.
Orange County Circuit Court criminal records [6] show that Dumler failed to appear for a July 19 court date, and a subsequent “Capias” (or arrest warrant) was issued.
Judge Cheryl V. Higgins, who presided over the Dumler removal trial, has ordered [7] Albemarle County to reimburse the wayward Supervisor $9,345 in related legal fees. However, if Dumler is a legal fugitive, he may face arrest while attempting to collect.
Unconfirmed rumors abound that Chris Dumler:
- Has left the state or even the country
- Is the subject of a state investigation
- Abandoned several legal clients and their cases, following his resignation
- Is in danger of military disciplinary action
- Is in the process of being disbarred, awaiting only his signature on state-issued legal paperwork
While Chris Dumler may be chuckling over fleecing taxpayers for his self-induced legal expenses, Albemarle County taxpayers and the law enforcement community may have the last laugh.