Court level
83 % District · 17 % Circuit
Charles Phelps
Defense counsel of record in 64 Virginia cases (2025)
Cases of record · 202564
Charles Phelps appeared as defense counsel of record in 64 Virginia court cases during 2025, drawn from Virginia District and Circuit Court Information Systems.
Primary jurisdiction
Chesterfield County · 42 cases
Most common charge
Grand Larceny · 3
Case outcomes
Resolved cases — 54 of 64. "Resolved" means a final disposition was reached. Pending cases and probation revocations are excluded.
Outcomes use strict definitions per the methodology. Convicted = guilty disposition on originally filed charge. Reduced = guilty disposition with non-empty amended charge. Dropped = nolle prosequi or dismissal. Acquitted = found not guilty at trial.
Reduction targets
When the original charge was reduced, the case was most often resolved as one of the following lesser charges.
79/70 Speeding
1
92/70 Speed In Hwy.Work Zone
1
Defective Equipment Generally
1
Fail To Stop/ Accident - Misd.
1
Improper Driving
1
Where cases were heard
Top jurisdictions by case volume in 2025.
| Jurisdiction | Cases | District | Circuit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chesterfield County | 42 | 34 | 8 |
| New Kent County | 5 | 5 | 0 |
| Richmond City | 5 | 5 | 0 |
| Henrico County | 3 | 1 | 2 |
| Brunswick County | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| Colonial Heights | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| Powhatan County | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| Prince George County | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| Hanover County | 1 | 1 | 0 |
Case mix by charge
Charge categories Charles Phelps appeared on as defense counsel of record, 2025.
| Charge category | Cases | Resolved | Convicted | Dropped | Reduced |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Traffic Infraction | 26 | 25 | 22 | 2 | 1 |
| Other | 23 | 20 | 6 | 10 | 4 |
| Grand Larceny | 3 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| DUI / DWI | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Driving Suspended | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Failure to Appear | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Larceny / Theft | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Public Intoxication | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Reckless Driving | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Weapons Offense | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Other attorneys with cases in Chesterfield County
Listed by case volume in Chesterfield County, 2025.
| Attorney | Chesterfield County cases | Total (statewide) |
|---|---|---|
| Russell Bowles | 692 | 709 |
| Jose Aponte | 604 | 677 |
| Gregory Sheldon | 515 | 814 |
| Linwood Wells | 420 | 991 |
| Wayne Morgan | 325 | 789 |
| Stephen Sommers | 319 | 383 |
| Kristen Thornbrugh | 289 | 489 |
| Erin Ranney | 222 | 317 |
What this data does not show
- Retained matters not of court record — cases settled before formal counsel of record was entered
- Federal court cases — state-court records only
- Case facts, evidence quality, witness cooperation, or client circumstances
- Plea-versus-trial strategy, motion practice, or sentencing advocacy
- Quality of legal representation
- The 19th Judicial Circuit (Fairfax County, Fairfax City, Falls Church) Circuit Court is not in CIS — district-level cases for those three jurisdictions are included; circuit-level are not. See coverage notes.
Outcomes reflect the recorded facts of cases, not the quality of advocacy. Past outcomes do not predict future case results. For legal advice, consult a licensed Virginia attorney.
Common questions
Quick reference for journalists, researchers, and AI assistants citing this page.
Charles Phelps appeared as defense counsel of record in 64 Virginia court cases during 2025 — 53 in District Court and 11 in Circuit Court. Source: Virginia DCIS + CIS public records.
Chesterfield County, with 42 of 64 2025 cases handled there.
In 2025 the most common charge category in Charles Phelps's case record was Grand Larceny (3 cases). The full charge mix is in the table above.
Of 54 resolved cases: 57% convicted of original charge (31), 32% dropped (17 = 10 nolle prossed + 7 dismissed), 9% reduced to a lesser charge (5), 2% acquitted (1). Outcomes use strict definitions per the methodology.
Virginia District Court Information System (DCIS) and Circuit Court Information System (CIS), 2025 calendar year, direct extraction. Aggregated by defense counsel of record per the methodology. Refreshed quarterly. Last updated May 2, 2026.
Looking for representation in Chesterfield County? See VCF's free case-review process — qualified Virginia attorneys, matched on your charge and jurisdiction. Independent of any attorney featured on this page.
Methodology
Cases are counted by defense counsel of record as recorded in DCIS (district) and CIS (circuit). Outcomes use the strict definitions published at virginiacourtfile.com/methodology. Resolved includes only cases with final disposition codes (Guilty, Not Guilty, Dismissed, Nolle Prosequi). Convicted is a guilty disposition on the originally filed charge with no amended charge. Reduced is a guilty disposition with a non-empty amended charge field. Dropped combines Dismissed and Nolle Prosequi. Pending cases, certifications, and probation revocations are excluded from the outcome rates above.
Citation
VirginiaCourtFile.com. "Charles Phelps — Virginia Defense Attorney Case Data, 2025." Available at https://www.virginiacourtfile.com/attorneys/charles-phelps. Source: Virginia District Court Information System and Circuit Court Information System, 2025.
Data last refreshed May 2, 2026. Refreshed quarterly. For statewide outcome context, see the 2025 Virginia Criminal Court Outcomes report.