Court level
100 % District · 0 % Circuit
Phil Gardner
Defense counsel of record in 36 Virginia cases (2025)
Cases of record · 202536
Phil Gardner appeared as defense counsel of record in 36 Virginia court cases during 2025, drawn from Virginia District and Circuit Court Information Systems.
Primary jurisdiction
Henry County · 35 cases
Most common charge
DUI / DWI · 7
Across 31 resolved 2025 cases, 61% were dropped — 2 nolle prossed and 17 dismissed.
Case outcomes
Resolved cases — 31 of 36. "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 12 cases ending in a guilty or not-guilty verdict, how many pled and how many went to trial.
Pled guilty
1083%
Resolved by guilty plea — no trial.
Went to trial
217%
2 acquittals · 0 convictions at trial.
Top charge — DUI / DWI
Phil Gardner's most common charge category in 2025 (7 cases of record · 6 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
Phil Gardner'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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DUI / DWI | Henry County | 7 | 7 | 0 |
| Assault & Battery | Henry County | 3 | 3 | 0 |
| Weapons Offense | Henry County | 3 | 3 | 0 |
Each row links to Phil Gardner's charge × jurisdiction page where outcomes for that combination are visible site-wide.
Reduction targets
When the original charge was reduced, the case was most often resolved as one of the following lesser charges.
Reckless Driving (Misdemeanor)
3
Fail Stop Scene Of Accident
1
Speeding (10-14) Over Limit
1
Where cases were heard
Top jurisdictions by case volume in 2025.
| Jurisdiction | Cases | District | Circuit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Henry County | 35 | 35 | 0 |
| Martinsville | 1 | 1 | 0 |
Case mix by charge
Charge categories Phil Gardner appeared on as defense counsel of record, 2025.
| Charge category | Cases | Resolved | Convicted | Dropped | Reduced |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Other | 10 | 8 | 0 | 6 | 2 |
| Traffic Infraction | 8 | 8 | 1 | 6 | 0 |
| DUI / DWI | 7 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| Assault & Battery | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Weapons Offense | 3 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| Obstruction | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Reckless Driving | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Kidnapping / Abduction | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Other attorneys with cases in Henry County
Listed by case volume in Henry County, 2025.
| Attorney | Henry County cases | Total (statewide) |
|---|---|---|
| Michael Nicholas | 1,352 | 1,697 |
| Michael A Nicholas | 251 | 649 |
| Heath Sabin | 206 | 428 |
| Matthew Clark | 191 | 360 |
| Perry Harrold | 104 | 231 |
| Ward Armstrong | 87 | 137 |
| Courtney Armstrong | 84 | 123 |
| W Roscoe Reynolds | 43 | 43 |
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.
Phil Gardner appeared as defense counsel of record in 36 Virginia court cases during 2025 — 36 in District Court and 0 in Circuit Court. Source: Virginia DCIS + CIS public records.
Henry County, with 35 of 36 2025 cases handled there.
In 2025 the most common charge category in Phil Gardner's case record was DUI / DWI (7 cases). The full charge mix is in the table above.
Of 31 resolved cases: 16% convicted of original charge (5), 61% dropped (19 = 2 nolle prossed + 17 dismissed), 16% reduced to a lesser charge (5), 6% acquitted (2). Outcomes use strict definitions per the methodology.
Of 12 cases ending in a guilty or not-guilty verdict, 10 (83%) resolved by guilty plea and 2 (17%) went to trial — 2 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 Henry 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. "Phil Gardner — Virginia Defense Attorney Case Data, 2025." Available at https://www.virginiacourtfile.com/attorneys/phil-gardner. Source: Virginia District Court Information System and Circuit Court Information System, 2025.
Data last refreshed May 2, 2026. Refreshed quarterly.