Commonwealth's Attorney

Howard Gwynn was born and raised in the southeast community of Newport News. After graduating as the the valedictorian of Carver High School, then a segregated school, Howard went on to obtain an Ivy League education, with an undergraduate degree from Dartmouth University and a juris doctorate from the University of Michigan. In the summers, he rolled up his sleeves and worked alongside his father in the Newport News Shipyard. After a brief stint as a federal government attorney in Washington, D.C., Howard returned to his hometown to serve as an assistant prosecutor for eight years before his election as the Commonwealth’s Attorney in 1990.

Today, he leads an office of over 75 attorneys and staff who pursue justice for the people of Newport News. Mr. Gwynn recognizes that survivors of crime often live with trauma and pain from their experiences, and he champions programs and community outreach to ensure fair treatment for crime victims and their families. Under Mr. Gwynn’s leadership, our office also participates in alternatives to incarceration such as drug treatment court and the behavioral health docket. Learn more about those programs here.