Court level
79 % District · 21 % Circuit
Daniel Zeiss
Defense counsel of record in 29 Virginia cases (2025)
Cases of record · 202529
Daniel Zeiss appeared as defense counsel of record in 29 Virginia court cases during 2025, drawn from Virginia District and Circuit Court Information Systems.
Primary jurisdiction
Albemarle County · 9 cases
Most common charge
Assault & Battery · 4
Small-sample note. This attorney appeared on 29 cases in our 2025 dataset, near our 20-case publication threshold. Outcome rates for low-volume practitioners carry larger statistical uncertainty than rates for high-volume attorneys; interpret accordingly.
Across 21 resolved 2025 cases, 52% were dropped — 5 nolle prossed and 6 dismissed.
Case outcomes
Resolved cases — 21 of 29. "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.
Plea vs trial
Of 10 cases ending in a guilty or not-guilty verdict, how many pled and how many went to trial.
Pled guilty
10100%
Resolved by guilty plea — no trial.
Went to trial
00%
0 acquittals · 0 convictions at trial.
Reduction targets
When the original charge was reduced, the case was most often resolved as one of the following lesser charges.
78/55 Speeding
1
Contrib To Deliq Of Minor
1
Speeding 20 Mph Over In 55/70
1
Where cases were heard
Top jurisdictions by case volume in 2025.
| Jurisdiction | Cases | District | Circuit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Albemarle County | 9 | 9 | 0 |
| Louisa County | 8 | 5 | 3 |
| Nelson County | 4 | 4 | 0 |
| Charlottesville | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| Staunton | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Greene County | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Orange County | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Waynesboro | 1 | 1 | 0 |
Case mix by charge
Charge categories Daniel Zeiss appeared on as defense counsel of record, 2025.
| Charge category | Cases | Resolved | Convicted | Dropped | Reduced |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Other | 10 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 1 |
| Traffic Infraction | 6 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 |
| Assault & Battery | 4 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| Reckless Driving | 3 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| DUI / DWI | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Driving Suspended | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Drug Possession | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Failure to Appear | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Larceny / Theft | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Trespassing | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Other attorneys with cases in Albemarle County
Listed by case volume in Albemarle County, 2025.
| Attorney | Albemarle County cases | Total (statewide) |
|---|---|---|
| Scott Goodman | 208 | 385 |
| Thomas Wilson | 187 | 316 |
| George Coles | 165 | 235 |
| Cyndra Van Clief | 132 | 220 |
| Michael La Fratta | 78 | 120 |
| Jessica Phillips | 70 | 114 |
| Alex Goodman | 60 | 102 |
| Edmund Michie | 53 | 150 |
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.
Daniel Zeiss appeared as defense counsel of record in 29 Virginia court cases during 2025 — 23 in District Court and 6 in Circuit Court. Source: Virginia DCIS + CIS public records.
Albemarle County, with 9 of 29 2025 cases handled there.
In 2025 the most common charge category in Daniel Zeiss's case record was Assault & Battery (4 cases). The full charge mix is in the table above.
Of 21 resolved cases: 33% convicted of original charge (7), 52% dropped (11 = 5 nolle prossed + 6 dismissed), 14% reduced to a lesser charge (3), 0% acquitted (0). Outcomes use strict definitions per the methodology.
Of 10 cases ending in a guilty or not-guilty verdict, 10 (100%) resolved by guilty plea and 0 (0%) went to trial — 0 acquittals and 0 convictions at trial.
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 Albemarle 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. "Daniel Zeiss — Virginia Defense Attorney Case Data, 2025." Available at https://www.virginiacourtfile.com/attorneys/daniel-zeiss. Source: Virginia District Court Information System and Circuit Court Information System, 2025.
Data last refreshed May 2, 2026. Refreshed quarterly.