Colin threw him an incredulous glare. “I’ll give you credit in my obit.”
Joshua huffed out an offended breath. “Too little, too late.”
David yanked the computer in front of him, muttering as he typed. “‘Introduced updated evidence-handling protocols after key failures in 2019.’ Boom.Responsible reform.You love that phrase.”
Colin arched a brow. “Do I?”
“You do now.”
Joshua set a plate of fresh cookies on the table beside the computer and smirked. “He’s going to rewrite your whole life if you’re not careful.”
“That’s the plan,” David muttered. He sat back, staring at the screen. He scrolled, stared again, and turned to Colin. “Wait—where the hell is the task force?”
Colin shrugged. “I didn’t think?—”
“You’vechairedthe Albemarle County Crime/Assault Task Force for what, three years? You’ve trained officers, restructured response protocols, and rewritten policy. That’s not a bullet point—that’s aheader.”
“I didn’t think academia would care about that.”
David threw up his hands. “Colin, itscreamsinstitutional credibility. You’re not just a prosecutor—they’ll see you as a builder, a reformer. You’re the guy who made the system better from the inside. That playsbigat UVA.”
Colin arched his brows and waved David toward his computer. “By all means, be my eager guest.”
Behind him, Joshua snickered around a mouthful of gingersnap and tapped David’s shoulder. “Don’t forget the timehe hosed down a Beta Alpha Alpha pledge who lost his lunch on Colin’s shoes during rush week.”
“Small potatoes,” David muttered, still typing. “I once pulled the dean of medicine out of a board meeting with his fly down and a bloody mary in his hand.”
“Jesus!” Colin blurted out. “What the hell kind of place will I be working in?”
Joshua bent over the back of the couch, reading…
Chair, Albemarle County Crime & Assault Task Force- 2022–Present
• Spearheaded comprehensive reform of county-wide response protocols to violent crime, with emphasis on trauma-informed victim support and cross-agency collaboration.
• Trained over two hundred law enforcement officers and prosecutors in best practices for handling assault and domestic violence cases.
• Authored revised policy framework now adopted as a model across multiple Virginia jurisdictions.
• Coordinated monthly interdisciplinary strategy sessions with law enforcement, social services, and community advocates.
• Led development of public outreach programs, improving survivor trust, and increasing case reporting rates.
“Impressive!” Joshua exclaimed, sliding his fingers into his husband’s hair. “Now they’ll see what I’ve seen in you all along.”
Colin lifted his hand and caressed Joshua’s fingers.
David reached for his briefcase and fumbled inside. “OK. While I’m whipping this hot mess into presentable form,youcan be filling these out.” He yanked out a handful of paper forms and handed them to Colin one by one. Behind them, Joshua doubled over the back of the couch, laughing so hard he nearly choked on his cookie.
Faculty Information Form- Full legal name, SSN, home address, and emergency contact. Preferred title.
David tapped the paper and nudged Colin’s arm. “And please don’t write in ‘King of the Courtroom.’”
“And why the hellnot?”
Background Check& Fingerprinting Authorization
“I assume you know what this is.”
