What are the case outcomes for Drug Possession in Arlington County?

Based on 289 cases in Arlington County (2025 public records), 70.5% are dismissed, 29.5% result in a guilty plea, and 0.0% end in acquittal. The median case takes 3.4 months. Individual outcomes depend on the specific facts of each case.

What is the dismissal rate for Drug Possession in Arlington County?

The dismissal rate is 70.5%, based on 289 cases from 2025 public court records. This includes judicial dismissals and nolle prosequi (cases dropped by the prosecutor).

How long does a Drug Possession case take in Arlington County?

The median case takes 3.4 months. The fastest 25% resolve in 1.9 months, while the slowest 25% take 7.5 months or longer. Duration depends on factors specific to each case.

What is the conviction rate for Drug Possession in Arlington County?

The conviction rate for Drug Possession in Arlington County is 29.5%, based on 289 cases from 2025 public court records. This includes guilty pleas and findings of guilt at trial.

What does the data show about charge reductions for Drug Possession in Arlington County?

31.8% of Drug Possession cases in Arlington County are amended to a lesser charge based on 2025 court records. The most common reduction is to Drugs: Possess Schedule Iii.

What's the difference between General District Court and Circuit Court for Drug Possession in Arlington County?

Drug Possession cases in Arlington County are heard in General District Court (289 cases in 2025).

Does having an attorney change outcomes for Drug Possession in Arlington County?

In Arlington County General District Court (2025), defendants with private counsel avoided conviction of the original drug possession charge in 100.0% of cases (n=98). Defendants with a public defender did so in 100.0% of cases (n=112). Counsel type may correlate with case mix and resources; the data shows what happened, not the isolated effect of representation.

How does Arlington County compare to other courts for Drug Possession?

Arlington County has a 70.5% dismissal rate for Drug Possession. Visit the Drug Possession overview page to compare dismissal rates, conviction rates, and case timelines across all Virginia jurisdictions.

What does the sentencing data show for Drug Possession in Arlington County?

For those convicted of Drug Possession in Arlington County, the average sentence recorded is 5.4 months (including suspended time). Actual sentences depend on the specifics of each case. Consult a licensed attorney for guidance on your situation.

Drug Possession in Arlington County, VA

Based on 289 public court records from 2025, Drug Possession cases in Arlington County General District Court have a 70.5% dismissal rate (statewide avg: 54.1%), a 29.5% conviction rate, and a median case duration of 3.4 months.

70.5%

Dismissal Rate

▲ vs 54.1% statewide

29.5%

Conviction Rate

▼ vs 45.2% statewide

3.4 months

Median Duration

I Outcomes

Case Outcomes — General District Court

How 289 General District Court cases in Arlington County were resolved in 2025. This is where most Drug Possession cases start.

Exhibit · Case-outcome distribution

64.1%

29.5%

Dismissed by judge 6.5% (n=14) Dropped by prosecutor (nolle prosequi) 64.1% (n=139) Guilty Plea 29.5% Found Guilty 0.0% Acquitted 0.0%

Largest outcomeDropped by prosecutor — 64.1% of 217 resolved cases.

Source: 289 General District Court records, Arlington County, 2025 — VirginiaCourtFile.com

Exhibit · How Arlington County compares

Dismissal rates for Drug Possession in this and peer jurisdictions, 2025. Peers are the highest-volume neighboring jurisdictions in the same region.

Arlington CountyThis page 70.5% 289 cases

Prince William County 41.8% 1,311 cases Fairfax County 71.0% 1,275 cases Stafford County 49.7% 521 cases Fredericksburg 36.3% 386 cases

Statewide average 54.1% all Virginia

Click any peer for its full record. Bar lengths are scaled to the highest rate shown.

Filed in Arlington County General District Court? See the full General District Court record — charge mix, judges, and officer activity.

VCF Sentencing Outcome Index

Outcomes for 81 convicted cases in Arlington County General District Court (2025-2026).

Exhibit · Sentencing when convicted

49.4%

Received Active Jail

Median 2.4 months when imposed

▲ vs 30.1% statewide

2.5%

Received Probation

Median suppressed (N<30)

▼ vs 38.2% statewide

These figures describe outcomes for cases that ended in conviction in Arlington County General District Court. They do not predict any individual case outcome. See methodology for definitions and suppression rules.

Charge Reductions

When the original charge is amended to a lesser offense, usually through negotiation between the attorney and prosecutor.

Exhibit · Charge-reduction patterns

31.8% of Drug Possession cases
in Arlington County are reduced

87 cases had their charge amended to a lesser offense.

Most common reductions

Drug Possession Drugs: Possess Schedule Iii

74 cases · 85.1% of reductions

Drug Possession Unauthorized Distribution of Paraphernalia

8 cases · 9.2% of reductions

Drug Possession Drugs: Possess Schedule Iv

2 cases · 2.3% of reductions

Case Duration

Time from filing to final disposition — half of cases resolve faster than the median.

Exhibit · Case duration

Fastest 25% 1.9 months

Median 3.4 months

Slowest 25% 7.5 months

II Getting Help

Does Having an Attorney Change the Outcome?

Drug Possession cases in Arlington County General District Court (2025), broken down by type of representation.

Defendants with private counsel avoided conviction of the original charge in 100.0% of cases. With a public defender, the rate was 100.0% — close enough that the type of attorney matters less than having one. The most common reduction is from drug possession to drugs: possess schedule iii.

Representation	Cases	Case dropped	Pleaded to lesser	Convicted as charged
Private attorney	98	71 · 72.4%	27 · 27.6%	0 · 0.0%
Public defender	112	78 · 69.6%	34 · 30.4%	0 · 0.0%

How to read this. "Case dropped" = dismissed, nolle prosequi (prosecutor dropped), or acquitted. "Pleaded to lesser" = the original drug possession charge was amended and the defendant pleaded guilty to a different, lesser offense. "Convicted as charged" = guilty plea or guilty verdict on the original charge. Cases certified to a higher court, revoked, or with procedural-only outcomes are excluded. Self-represented defendants are not shown — case complexity and charge severity make a fair comparison unreliable. Counsel type may correlate with case mix and resources to afford representation; the data shows what happened, not the isolated effect of representation.

Defense Attorneys with Drug Possession Cases in Arlington County

Attorneys whose primary jurisdiction is Arlington County and who appeared as defense counsel of record on Drug Possession cases in 2025. Listed by case count.

Adam Hancock 13 of 349 total Harry Dennis 13 of 281 total Mark Thrash 9 of 251 total Christopher Davis 9 of 145 total Clinton Shaw 8 of 94 total Bradley Haywood 8 of 88 total William Robinson 7 of 211 total Keith Corley 6 of 48 total Rex Flynn 4 of 106 total Damon D Colbert 2 of 104 total

Counts are each attorney's full 2025 caseload statewide. Click any name for their jurisdiction + outcome breakdown.

All Virginia defense attorneys

Commonwealth's Attorney Office — Arlington County

2,468 circuit court filings prosecuted by the Arlington County Commonwealth's Attorney in 2025. Office-level data — direct-indictment rate, disposition mix, trial activity. View office records →

III Background

Arresting Officers — Dismissal Rates

Officers whose Drug Possession arrests in Arlington County are dismissed most frequently. Minimum 10 cases.

W Johnson 100.0% 11 cases D Gardner 83.3% 13 cases C Keeley 78.6% 20 cases

Ranking shows officers in this jurisdiction with the highest Drug Possession dismissal rates (minimum 10 cases). Click any name for their full record.

All arresting officers in Arlington County

Common Questions

Statistics from public court records for informational purposes only. Not legal advice. Past outcomes do not predict future results. Consult a licensed attorney for guidance on your case.

Can a Drug Possession charge be reduced to something lesser?

31.8% of Drug Possession cases in Arlington County were amended to a lesser charge in 2025. The most common reduction was to Drugs: Possess Schedule Iii (74 cases), followed by Unauthorized Distribution of Paraphernalia (8 cases). Whether a reduction is available depends on the specifics of the case and is typically negotiated between the defense attorney and the prosecutor.

Does having an attorney change outcomes?

In Arlington County General District Court (2025), defendants with private counsel avoided conviction of the original drug possession charge in 100.0% of cases (n=98). With a public defender, that rate was 100.0% (n=112). The data shows what happened, not the isolated effect of representation — case mix and severity vary by counsel type.

How does Arlington County compare to other Virginia courts?

Arlington County has a 70.5% dismissal rate for Drug Possession cases. Outcomes vary significantly across Virginia courts. View the Drug Possession overview to compare dismissal rates, conviction rates, and case timelines across every jurisdiction.

Where does this data come from and how often is it updated?

All figures on this page come from Virginia's public Case Information System (CIS) and District Court system, calendar year 2025 onward. The dataset is refreshed quarterly. See methodology for definitions, denominators, and known coverage gaps.

Cite this page

VirginiaCourtFile.com (2026). Drug Possession Outcomes — Arlington County, Virginia. Based on 289 public court records, 2025; last updated May 2, 2026. https://www.virginiacourtfile.com/charges/drug-possession/arlington-county

Other Charges in Arlington County

Public Intoxication

936 cases · 48.3% dismissed

Larceny / Theft

913 cases · 67.5% dismissed

DUI / DWI

545 cases · 11.3% dismissed

Assault & Battery

411 cases · 73.0% dismissed