Court level
90 % District · 10 % Circuit
David Gates
Defense counsel of record in 71 Virginia cases (2025)
Cases of record · 202571
David Gates appeared as defense counsel of record in 71 Virginia court cases during 2025, drawn from Virginia District and Circuit Court Information Systems.
Primary jurisdiction
Chesterfield County · 17 cases
Most common charge
DUI / DWI · 8
Case outcomes
Resolved cases — 64 of 71. "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.
Top charge — DUI / DWI
David Gates's most common charge category in 2025 (8 cases of record · 7 resolved). Outcomes use the same definitions as the overall view.
Acquittals are tracked at the overall level — the top-charge view shows the three primary disposition paths. See the DUI / DWI page for jurisdiction-wide context.
Cases like yours
David Gates's most common charge × jurisdiction combinations in 2025. If your charge and county appear here, this attorney has handled cases like yours specifically — at the volume shown. Minimum 3 cases per row.
| Charge | Jurisdiction | Cases | District | Circuit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weapons Offense | Prince Edward County | 4 | 2 | 2 |
| DUI / DWI | Chesterfield County | 3 | 3 | 0 |
See also
Weapons Offense outcomes in Prince Edward County — every attorney's 2025 outcomes for Weapons Offense cases in Prince Edward County, using the same definitions as above.
Reduction targets
When the original charge was reduced, the case was most often resolved as one of the following lesser charges.
Defective Equipment Generally
3
Defective Equipment Generally
2
Defective Equipment Generally
2
DWI, First Offense
2
Fail To Obtain Regis/Title
1
False Report Of Crime To Leo
1
Improper Driving
1
Obstruct/Resist W/O Force
1
Where cases were heard
Top jurisdictions by case volume in 2025.
| Jurisdiction | Cases | District | Circuit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chesterfield County | 17 | 17 | 0 |
| Prince Edward County | 14 | 11 | 3 |
| Hanover County | 9 | 6 | 3 |
| Richmond City | 6 | 6 | 0 |
| Amelia County | 4 | 4 | 0 |
| Bath County | 3 | 3 | 0 |
| Colonial Heights | 3 | 3 | 0 |
| Nelson County | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| Powhatan County | 2 | 2 | 0 |
Case mix by charge
Charge categories David Gates appeared on as defense counsel of record, 2025.
| Charge category | Cases | Resolved | Convicted | Dropped | Reduced |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Other | 31 | 31 | 7 | 17 | 6 |
| Traffic Infraction | 14 | 14 | 4 | 6 | 4 |
| DUI / DWI | 8 | 7 | 4 | 0 | 3 |
| Reckless Driving | 5 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 2 |
| Weapons Offense | 5 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Drug Possession | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Failure to Appear | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Property Destruction | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Public Intoxication | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Trespassing | 1 | 1 | 1 | 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 | 721 | 741 |
| Jose Aponte | 623 | 699 |
| Gregory Sheldon | 515 | 833 |
| Linwood Wells | 429 | 1,041 |
| Wayne Morgan | 335 | 828 |
| Stephen Sommers | 334 | 401 |
| Kristen Thornbrugh | 294 | 500 |
| Erin Ranney | 241 | 343 |
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.
David Gates appeared as defense counsel of record in 71 Virginia court cases during 2025 — 64 in District Court and 7 in Circuit Court. Source: Virginia DCIS + CIS public records.
Chesterfield County, with 17 of 71 2025 cases handled there.
In 2025 the most common charge category in David Gates's case record was DUI / DWI (8 cases). The full charge mix is in the table above.
Of 64 resolved cases: 27% convicted of original charge (17), 48% dropped (31 = 19 nolle prossed + 12 dismissed), 23% reduced to a lesser charge (15), 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. "David Gates — Virginia Defense Attorney Case Data, 2025." Available at https://www.virginiacourtfile.com/attorneys/david-gates. 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.