Patrick Henry's Aidan Monahan goes up for a layup against J.I. Burton in the 2025 Region 1D tournament.
Patrick Henry's Aidan Monahan goes up for a layup against J.I. Burton in the 2025 Region 1D tournament.
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Smyth County's Val Mutter: An Unsung Legal Hero
Commonwealth's Attorney Phillip "Bucky" Blevins, left, and retired Commonwealth's Attorney Roy Evans celebrated Val Mutter's recognition as an Unsung Legal Hero.
Val Mutter will mark her 34th anniversary with the Smyth County Commonwealth's Attorney's Office on March 9.
Val Mutter serves as a linchpin in Smyth County’s public safety and justice systems. Police officers investigating crimes and attorneys, clerks, and judges at work in the county’s courts agree that her night and day behind-the-scenes work often seems superhuman.
Now, Virginia Lawyers Weekly, a publication and digital resource, agrees. It named Mutter as an Unsung Legal Hero for 2025.
She was nominated for the award by her employer, Commonwealth’s Attorney Phillip “Bucky” Blevins.
Mutter has worked for the office for more than three decades, officially 34 years on March 9. She was hired by now retired Commonwealth’s Attorney Roy Evans.
At a recent reception in Mutter’s honor, Evans declared, “She’s still in charge,” to which Blevins nodded his agreement.
Evans talked about what an asset Mutter is to law enforcement officers, especially when they need assistance after hours. They would call her at home, he said.
Capt. Tony Powers agreed. He’s worked for the Smyth County Sheriff's Office for 43 years and has seen Mutter’s work for her entire career. “She’s been the person everybody goes to as long as I can remember,” he said.
When she started, Powers said she learned quickly and took charge.
Evans reflected, “She worked more hours than I could count. We could never pay her by the hour.”
Mutter didn’t start out with a commanding salary.
“I was 19 years old and attending WCC and looking for a secretarial position. Marvin Leslie called me from the VEC and suggested I apply for this job. The office was considered a part-time office back then and it paid $11,000. I applied and interviewed with Roy Evans.”
“I was just a … kid who wanted to be a secretary. I loved organizing and making lists and checking them off and I still do. Little did I know what this job would entail though,” she said.
An accounting of what it does entail is daunting.
In his award nomination, Blevins wrote, “Titles like ‘office manager’ only hint at the scope of what Valerie does. She is our court-calendar architect, records and discovery coordinator, training lead, informal HR mentor, and the calm, competent voice on the phone when victims, witnesses, officers, and defense counsel need help—often after normal business hours.”
Blevins continued, “Valerie’s day starts with accuracy: she oversees case file creation; confirms charging documents and service; tracks speedy-trial and statutory deadlines; and ensures discovery and notifications are timely and complete. She drafts routine pleadings and correspondence, prepares exhibits and certifications, and maintains templates and checklists that keep our practice uniform and legally compliant. When emergencies arise, Valerie is there—coordinating urgent filings, notarizing or witnessing documents as permitted, and, after-hours on-call for Fourth Amendment checks when needed. Public safety work doesn’t stop at 5 p.m.; neither does Valerie.”
“Her leadership is most visible in the systems she builds. Valerie maintains our policy and training manuals and onboards new staff with clarity and heart. She quietly mentors legal assistants and interns, modeling the high standards our community expects: precision, discretion, and empathy. She has shepherded the office through technology changes and process updates, helping transition to modern case-management platforms and digital discovery workflows while preserving chain-of-custody and privacy safeguards. The result is a more resilient, audit-ready office that serves the public with consistency and fairness.”
Mutter reflected on the office’s work when asked what she would like people to know about the office. “I actually think very few people know and understand exactly what we do and how much we do. It is A LOT. We are responsible for everything in this county from speeding tickets to murder.”
More than her skills, talent, and aptitude, Blevins values Mutter’s integrity and compassion.
In the nomination, he wrote, “Valerie’s character is as impressive as her competence. She treats every person with dignity, keeps confidences without fail, and defuses tense situations with patience and professionalism. Victims and witnesses often remark that Valerie was the first person who made them feel heard; officers trust her guidance on paperwork and procedure; defense counsel appreciate her reliability and civility. Judges and clerks know that when Valerie is involved, filings will be correct and the record complete.”
In all her work, Mutter keeps love before, behind, and all around her. As to what keeps her working at the Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office, she said, “I love it. I love my work. I love the people. I love being able to help officers with their cases. I love being able to help people and families that are going through some of the most difficult times of their lives.”
That love means the world to Blevins, who wrote, “Across multiple administrations, dockets, and crises, Valerie has never sought the spotlight. She measures success by whether the work is right, the people are served, and justice moves forward. The community may not see the late nights, the careful proofreading of indictments, or the calm coordination when an urgent filing must be assembled at 9:30 p.m.—but we do. We know that our office’s reputation for integrity and readiness rests, in no small part, on her shoulders.
Blevins concluded his nomination saying that “…Valerie Mutter [is] —the definition of a hero whose excellence keeps the wheels of justice turning for Smyth County.”
In her years of service, Mutter has seen much that’s changed, most particularly technology. “I started with an old Dictaphone… and a typewriter. Now I literally take a laptop home and work from my home just like I am sitting at my desk in my office.”
She’s also seen important matters remain largely constant: “The people … Mr. Evans was here for 36 years, and I was a part of almost 32 of those. We had a lot of the same staff for almost 20 years at one time, and those people are still some of my best friends. Stayed the same – the work, the long hours and the best officers and attorneys to work with.”
Mutter credits her family and home with shaping her.
She describes herself as “a country girl from Ceres…. I grew up on a farm in Ceres in Smyth County (one mile from the Bland County line). I am the baby of seven kids…. My parents and family are and were great. My brother and nephew still operate the family farm and have expanded it.”
Mutter was married for 30 years, living for 15 years in Ceres and another 15 in Rural Retreat.
Of all her achievements, she ranks none higher than her daughter, 21-year-old Jenna Marie, “who attends college at Radford University and is following me into a law enforcement career. She is my biggest accomplishment by far.”
Mutter returned to Smyth County in 2024 and now calls Chilhowie home. She’s engaged to Steve Frye, an old high school friend. The pair became reacquainted after not seeing each other for 34 years, since their graduation.
“In my spare time I love to hike, especially at our very own Hungry Mother State Park, and I love to do exercise classes like body pump. I also just recently started my own small business selling skincare products, Lemongrass Spa Products.”
In the Unsung Hero nomination, Blevins said, “For 33+ years, Valerie Mutter has been the indispensable force behind the Smyth County Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office.”
Mark Fenyk, a defense attorney and the Town of Marion’s attorney, summed up Mutter with two words: “She’s exceptional.”
Smyth County's Behavioral Health Docket launches
Members of the team behind Smyth County's Behavioral Health Docket gathered for a ceremony Wednesday.
Smyth County General District Court Chief Judge Travis Lee will preside over the docket.
Michelle Ward, who directs Smyth County's Recovery Court, will also coordinate the Behavioral Health Docket.
A person with serious mental illness can find themselves caught in a painful cycle of arrests, court appearances, and jail time.
Smyth County leaders want to help those individuals break the cycle.
Wednesday, officials celebrated the launch of the Smyth County Behavioral Health Docket that Commonwealth’s Attorney Phillip “Bucky” Blevins promised “is not a get-out-of-jail-free card.”
Rather, he said, the Behavioral Health alternative sentencing program will give participants the tools and treatment necessary to become productive citizens through structured supervision, treatment coordination, and judicial oversight
Blevins quoted Sheriff Chip Shuler’s declaration that a community can’t arrest its way out of problems such as drug addiction and mental illness.
Michelle Ward, who is the director of the county’s Recovery Court that works with offenders who have substance use disorders, will also coordinate the behavioral health docket.
Wednesday, Ward said there are offenders who need help beyond jail. With the docket, she said they’ll get that help but also remain in the legal system.
To maintain the docket’s status and grants to fund it, Ward said the program will track data and is working with Mount Rogers Community Services on the programs. A MRCS spokesperson said that evidence-based treatment will be used.
She and others credited Chilhowie Police Chief Andrew Moss for his advocacy for mental health programs such as a jail diversion program that’s already in place.
Ward said she’s learning a great deal.
Chief Judge Travis Lee oversees Smyth County General District Court. He will preside over the new docket.
When first asked about introducing a Behavioral Health Docket, Lee said he undertook research and has since then attended multiple training sessions.
Wednesday, Lee said, “I believe it will be a positive step for the community.”
He urged people to utilize the resource.
The docket has been in the works for about two years.
Both Blevins and Ward called the process to get the docket established as grueling.
Blevins acknowledged that he was ready to throw in the towel multiple times as the Virginia Supreme Court demanded multiple revisions on Smyth’s application and proposal.
Now, the docket is in place and fully funded by a state grant of about $150,000. Blevins and Ward also noted that they’ve been encouraged to apply for a second grant to fund operations for three years.
Blevins emphasized that the program is a collaborative effort involving the court, the Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office, defense counsel, law enforcement, probation services, and mental health professionals.
Participants will undergo treatment over 9 to 12 months in most cases. Those who successfully complete the program will get no active jail time, but those who don’t comply with the program’s requirements will be sentenced. Blevins noted that the initiative focuses on addressing the root causes of certain criminal conduct, which ultimately benefits both public safety and taxpayers.
Blevins believes this program will help make the community safer.
“If we are serious about reducing crime, we must also be serious about addressing the factors that cause it,” Blevins said. “By connecting appropriate offenders with treatment and supervision, we have an opportunity to reduce recidivism, improve outcomes for individuals and families, and save taxpayer dollars that would otherwise be spent repeatedly incarcerating the same individuals without solving the underlying issue.”
Just saving on jail time will save taxpayers substantially.
According to Smyth County Administrator Shawn Utt, keeping a prisoner in the Southwest Virginia Regional Jail costs about $49 per day. This year, he said, the county has allocated $3.3 million to cover those costs for its prisoners. He expects the figure will be about the same for the 2026-27 budget.
About two in five people now behind bars have a history of mental illness — a rate that is twice as high as the overall prevalence of mental illness among adults in this country, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness.
Just as Smyth is doing, NAMI argues, “To support better outcomes for people with mental illness, the justice system should work in collaboration with community mental health systems to ensure people who are incarcerated receive quality, timely care.”
“To assess the need,” Blevins said the team “reviewed arrest data from 2022 through 2024. During that period, Smyth County recorded 1,429 arrests for the target offenses, with a significant number of defendants exhibiting serious mental health conditions, including psychosis and bipolar disorder.”
Following the event, he said, “Justice requires both accountability and wisdom. This program reflects our commitment to protecting the public while responsibly addressing the realities of mental illness in the criminal justice system.”
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Marion OKs adding fee to delinquent taxes to help collect them
The Town of Marion is taking a more aggressive approach to collecting taxes it’s owed.
Monday evening, Town Manager Andrew Keen explained to the town council that state law allows localities’ governing bodies to cover the costs of collecting delinquent taxes by imposing a fee of up to 20% on the bill.
Looking back to 2022, Keen has found about $170,000 in delinquent taxes. He told the council that he’d like to review back to 2020. He suspects that may add significantly to the total.
Councilman Larry Carter supported the move, saying, “They’re robbing from all of us” who pay taxes.
Keen said he plans to work with the law firm TACS (Taxing Authority Consulting Services). The firm only serves government entities. Its website says, “Our firm’s extensive experience in collection, bankruptcy and assessment matters affords our clients full service representation related to their receivables. We draw on this experience to ensure our clients obtain their maximum recovery in general account matters and bankruptcy proceedings.”
Any collected taxes, Keen said, could go a long way toward helping replace aging equipment or meeting other needs.
Councilmember Susie Jennings said she sees the move as a great opportunity to get some of the money due to the town.
The council unanimously adopted a resolution approving the addition of fees to delinquent tax bills to cover the costs of collection.
That resolution noted that such costs shouldn’t be covered by “citizens who have paid their accounts timely…. The Town of Marion wishes to ensure that those costs are borne by the citizens responsible for the delinquent account.”
Mayor Avery Cornett said he hopes the effort is fruitful.
