About Harvey

Over 26 Years of Prosecution Experience

  • Commonwealth’s Attorney, City of Virginia Beach since April 2000.
    • Harvey L. Bryant was appointed unanimously by the Virginia Beach Circuit Court Judges to be interim Commonwealth’s Attorney in April 2000. Harvey was elected in a special election in 2000 and in general elections in 2001 and 2005.
    • He oversees an office of 37 attorneys, and an additional staff of 57. Approximately 16,000 cases per year are prosecuted before 22 judges in Virginia’s largest city.
  • United States Attorney’s Office Eastern District of Virginia, Norfolk and Newport News Divisions, 1987-2000.
    • In 1991, he was promoted to Supervisory Assistant U. S. Attorney in the Criminal Division where he supervised, trained and rated the performance of attorneys, paralegals and other staff. He reviewed and approved indictments, pre-trial motions, search and arrest warrants, plea agreements and appellate briefs. He supervised cross-designated Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorneys from several Tidewater cities, including Virginia Beach, and military attorneys from all branches of service. He helped train local FBI, DEA, ATF, and other federal agents, while carrying a caseload of a variety of criminal matters, trying cases in Federal District Court, and arguing appeals before the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals.
  • Norfolk Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office, 1975-1979.
    • He was promoted to Deputy Commonwealth’s Attorney in 1977 which increased his administrative, policy, procedure and training duties. While there he tried major case of all types, with and without juries.

Other Legal and Management Experience

  • Rabinowitz, Rafal, Swartz, Gilbert & Bryant, P.C., Norfolk, Virginia, 1979-1987.
    • He was an Associate, then partner from 1982 in general practice with emphasis in criminal defense. He defended, with and without juries, major criminal cases in Federal and State Courts in Tidewater.
    • He tried personal injury case before juries and negotiated settlements in claims against the government and with private insurance companies.
  • James and Consolvo (now Markowitz & Webb), Virginia Beach, Virginia, 1974-1975.
    • He was an Associate in general practice/real estate firm.

Selected Lecturer/Teaching Presentations

  • Virginia Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Institute: 1979, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2007
  • Virginia Beach Police Academy
  • Virginia Beach Citizens Police Academy: 2001 – 2009
  • Virginia Beach Senior Citizens Police Academy: 2005 – 2009
  • Norfolk Police Department In-Service Training – 40 hours
  • Virginia Conference on Social Welfare (Incest and Sexual Child Abuse)
  • Environmental Law Section, Virginia State Bar
  • Norfolk-Portsmouth Bar Association
  • Virginia Hazardous Materials Conference
  • Federal Bar Association, Tidewater Chapter
  • Various federal agencies on multiple occasions including FBI, DEA, Naval Criminal Investigative Service, military base police departments, military attorneys at Tidewater area bases from all branches of the service
  • Suffolk Law School, Boston, MA: 1996, 1997, 1998
  • Federal Law Enforcement Officer Association, Tidewater Chapter
  • Speaker, Panel member and Mock Trial Participant for various organizations, public and private schools and colleges

Selected Organizational Activities

  • Attorney General’s Task Force on Child Abuse Fatalities
  • Chairman, Commonwealth’s Attorneys’ Services Council: 2007, Board of Directors: 2001 – Present
  • President,Virginia Association of Commonwealth’s Attorneys: 2006 – 2008. The association represents over 800 Virginia Prosecutors.
  • Chairman,Virginia State Bar Criminal Law Section Board of Directors: 2005-2006 (Over 2000 attorneys and judges)
  • Hampton Roads Family Violence Prevention Council
  • Past-President, College of William & Mary Alumni Society, South Hampton Roads Chapter,
  • Virginia Beach FOP Lodge #8
  • Board Member,Virginia Criminal Justice Conference
  • Virginia Beach 4th Precinct Citizen’s Advisory Committee
  • Virginia Beach Triad/Seniors and Law Enforcement Together
  • Virginia Sheriffs’ Institute
  • Virginia Trial Lawyers Association
  • National College of District Attorneys
  • Elizabeth River Project, Charter Member
  • Lynnhaven River Now
  • Civic League Block Captain
  • Kempsville Baptist Church
  • Kempsville & Woodstock Recreation Associations, past assistant baseball and basketball coach
  • Virginia Beach Republican City Committee
  • Virginia State Bar Association
  • Virginia Beach Bar Association
  • Virginia Beach Bar Association Circuit Court Liaison Committee

Military Experience

  • United States Army
  • Graduated from Infantry Officer Candidate School, September 1969.  Served three years active duty, one of which was in Korea. Awarded Army Commendation Medal.
  • Served a total of five years active reserve duty, 4th Bde, 80th Division, Fort Story, Virginia,  as a company commander and later a battalion personnel officer.

Education

  • Public schools in Norfolk County and Portsmouth, Virginia
  • College of William and Mary, B.A. in History
  • T. C. Williams School of Law, University of Richmond, Juris Doctorate

Personal

  • Harvey has been a resident of South Hampton Roads for 62 years and a resident of Virginia Beach for 26 years. He has been married to Donna Bryant for 42 years. They have 2 children and two grandchildren.