Court level
63 % District · 37 % Circuit
John Hart
Defense counsel of record in 115 Virginia cases (2025)
Cases of record · 2025115
John Hart appeared as defense counsel of record in 115 Virginia court cases during 2025, drawn from Virginia District and Circuit Court Information Systems.
Primary jurisdiction
Norfolk · 48 cases
Most common charge
Weapons Offense · 6
Case outcomes
Resolved cases — 43 of 115. "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.
Cases like yours
John Hart'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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Larceny / Theft | Virginia Beach | 5 | 5 | 0 |
| Weapons Offense | Virginia Beach | 5 | 5 | 0 |
| Drug Possession | Virginia Beach | 4 | 4 | 0 |
| Failure to Appear | Norfolk | 3 | 3 | 0 |
See also
Larceny / Theft outcomes in Virginia Beach — every attorney's 2025 outcomes for Larceny / Theft cases in Virginia Beach, 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.
Improper Driving
4
Improper Driving
2
Dr W/O Lights/Excessive Lights
1
Expired Registration
1
Speeding 15-19 Over In 55/70 Zone
1
Susp Lic-1st Off
1
Trespassing
1
Where cases were heard
Top jurisdictions by case volume in 2025.
| Jurisdiction | Cases | District | Circuit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Norfolk | 48 | 18 | 30 |
| Virginia Beach | 40 | 34 | 6 |
| Accomack County | 20 | 16 | 4 |
| Northampton County | 3 | 3 | 0 |
| Portsmouth | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| Page County | 1 | 0 | 1 |
Case mix by charge
Charge categories John Hart appeared on as defense counsel of record, 2025.
| Charge category | Cases | Resolved | Convicted | Dropped | Reduced |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Other | 75 | 24 | 2 | 10 | 9 |
| Traffic Infraction | 9 | 7 | 3 | 2 | 2 |
| Weapons Offense | 6 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Larceny / Theft | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Drug Possession | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Robbery | 4 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| DUI / DWI | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Failure to Appear | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Assault & Battery | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Property Destruction | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Other attorneys with cases in Norfolk
Listed by case volume in Norfolk, 2025.
| Attorney | Norfolk cases | Total (statewide) |
|---|---|---|
| C Roberts | 280 | 467 |
| Trevor Robinson | 233 | 327 |
| Charles Bashara | 228 | 296 |
| Andrew Sacks | 201 | 727 |
| B Thomas Reed | 190 | 215 |
| Kristin Paulding | 187 | 285 |
| Kyle Lullo | 184 | 184 |
| Michael Lutke | 181 | 181 |
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.
John Hart appeared as defense counsel of record in 115 Virginia court cases during 2025 — 73 in District Court and 42 in Circuit Court. Source: Virginia DCIS + CIS public records.
Norfolk, with 48 of 115 2025 cases handled there.
In 2025 the most common charge category in John Hart's case record was Weapons Offense (6 cases). The full charge mix is in the table above.
Of 43 resolved cases: 16% convicted of original charge (7), 49% dropped (21 = 10 nolle prossed + 11 dismissed), 26% reduced to a lesser charge (11), 9% acquitted (4). 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 Norfolk? 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. "John Hart — Virginia Defense Attorney Case Data, 2025." Available at https://www.virginiacourtfile.com/attorneys/john-hart. 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.