What are the case outcomes for DUI / DWI in Charlottesville?

Of 106 cases filed in Charlottesville in 2025 (public records), 97 reached a dismissal, plea, verdict, or acquittal. Of those, 16.5% are dismissed, 83.5% result in conviction, and 0.0% end in acquittal. The median case takes 2.7 months. Individual outcomes depend on the specific facts of each case.

What is the dismissal rate for DUI / DWI in Charlottesville?

The dismissal rate is 16.5% of the 97 cases that reached an outcome, out of 106 filed in 2025 (public court records). This includes judicial dismissals and nolle prosequi (cases dropped by the prosecutor).

How long does a DUI / DWI case take in Charlottesville?

The median case takes 2.7 months. The fastest 25% resolve in 1.8 months, while the slowest 25% take 4.1 months or longer. Duration depends on factors specific to each case.

What is the conviction rate for DUI / DWI in Charlottesville?

The conviction rate for DUI / DWI in Charlottesville is 83.5% of the 97 cases that reached an outcome, out of 106 filed in 2025 (public court records). This includes guilty pleas and findings of guilt at trial.

What does the data show about charge reductions for DUI / DWI in Charlottesville?

3.8% of DUI / DWI cases in Charlottesville are amended to a lesser charge based on 2025 court records. The most common reduction is to DWI, First Offense.

What's the difference between General District Court and Circuit Court for DUI / DWI in Charlottesville?

DUI / DWI cases in Charlottesville are heard in General District Court (106 cases in 2025).

How does Charlottesville compare to other courts for DUI / DWI?

Charlottesville has a 16.5% dismissal rate for DUI / DWI. Visit the DUI / DWI overview page to compare dismissal rates, conviction rates, and case timelines across all Virginia jurisdictions.

What does the sentencing data show for DUI / DWI in Charlottesville?

For those convicted of DUI / DWI in Charlottesville, the average sentence recorded is 3.3 months (including suspended time). Actual sentences depend on the specifics of each case. Consult a licensed attorney for guidance on your situation.

DUI / DWI in Charlottesville, VA

Based on 106 public court records from 2025, DUI / DWI cases in Charlottesville General District Court have a 16.5% dismissal rate (statewide avg: 11.9%), a 83.5% conviction rate, and a median case duration of 2.7 months.

Key takeaways

16.5% of DUI / DWI cases in Charlottesville were dismissed or dropped in 2025, across 106 public court records (Virginia average: 11.9%).
83.5% resulted in conviction.
3.8% were amended to a lesser charge, most often DWI, First Offense.
The median case resolved in 2.7 months; the slowest quarter took 4.1 months or more.

16.5%

Dismissal Rate

▲ vs 11.9% statewide

83.5%

Conviction Rate

▼ vs 86.3% statewide

2.7 months

Median Duration

I Outcomes

Case Outcomes — General District Court

Of 106 General District Court cases in Charlottesville filed in 2025, 97 ended in a dismissal, plea, verdict, or acquittal — the basis for the rates below. This is where most DUI / DWI cases start.

Exhibit · Case-outcome distribution

12.4%

83.5%

Dismissed by judge 4.1% (n=4) Dropped by prosecutor (nolle prosequi) 12.4% (n=12) Convicted 83.5% (n=81) Acquitted 0.0%

Largest outcomeConvicted — 83.5% of 97 resolved cases.

Source: 106 General District Court records, Charlottesville, 2025. See the 2025 Virginia DWI Court Outcomes report for statewide context. — VirginiaCourtFile.com

Exhibit · How Charlottesville compares

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

CharlottesvilleThis page 16.5% 106 cases

Lynchburg 15.1% 299 cases Albemarle County 8.6% 273 cases Bedford County 10.5% 178 cases Campbell County 2.4% 113 cases

Statewide average 11.9% all Virginia

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

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

January to June 2026 · read at June 30 · General District Court

51 dui / dwi cases in Charlottesville General District Court were filed January to June 2026, and 28 had resolved by June 30.

Of the 28 resolved, 7.1% were dismissed or dropped and 89.3% ended in a conviction. 23 were still open at June 30. The same read of January to June 2025 is beside it, so the two half-years are compared at the same age.

Measure	Jan–Jun 2026	Jan–Jun 2025, same read
Filed	51	44
Resolved by June 30	28	19
Still open at June 30	23	25
Dismissed or dropped, of resolved	7.1%	n/a
Convicted, of resolved	89.3%	n/a
Convicted on a reduced charge, of resolved	3.6%	n/a

Small sample: fewer than 30 resolved cases, so the 2026 rates move a lot with each case. A case counts as resolved only if its final hearing was held on or before June 30 of its filing year; rates divide by those cases. General District Court only — 2026 Circuit Court figures are not yet published (feed paused 2026-07-09). Filed counts carry a recording caveat and no year-over-year change is claimed. Source read 2026-09-14; the 2025 benchmark elsewhere on this page is the full calendar year. Method.

VCF Sentencing Outcome Index

Outcomes for 113 convicted cases in Charlottesville General District Court (2025-2026).

Exhibit · Sentencing when convicted

38.9%

Received Active Jail

Median 10 days when imposed

▲ vs 34.9% statewide

$250

Median Fine

98.2% received a fine

● vs $250 statewide

98.2%

License Suspended

Median 1.0 years when imposed

▲ vs 92.1% statewide

99.1%

Enrolled in VASAP

Virginia Alcohol Safety Action Program

▲ vs 91.8% statewide

These figures describe outcomes for cases that ended in conviction in Charlottesville 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

3.8% of DUI / DWI cases
in Charlottesville are reduced

4 cases had their charge amended to a lesser offense.

Most common reductions

DUI / DWI DWI, First Offense

3 cases · 75.0% of reductions

DUI / DWI DWI, Third or Subsequent Offense

1 cases · 25.0% of reductions

Case Duration

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

Exhibit · Case duration

Fastest 25% 1.8 months

Median 2.7 months

Slowest 25% 4.1 months

Administrative license suspension. A DUI arrest in Virginia can trigger an administrative license suspension separate from the criminal case. Time-sensitive procedures may apply right after arrest. Consult a licensed Virginia attorney about the specifics.

II Getting Help

Getting Help With a DUI / DWI Charge

Representation options in Charlottesville.

If you cannot afford an attorney for a dui / dwi charge, you may qualify for court-appointed counsel or a public defender. How Virginia's indigent-defense system works explains who qualifies and how representation is assigned in Charlottesville. Defense attorneys who have appeared on dui / dwi cases in Charlottesville are listed below.

Defense Attorneys with DUI / DWI Cases in Charlottesville

Attorneys whose primary jurisdiction is Charlottesville and who appeared as defense counsel of record on DUI / DWI cases in 2025. Listed by case count.

Norman Lamson 2 of 59 total Christopher Graham 1 of 77 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 — Charlottesville

468 circuit court filings prosecuted by the Charlottesville 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 DUI / DWI arrests in Charlottesville are dismissed most frequently. Minimum 10 cases.

Troche 25.0% 14 cases

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

All arresting officers in Charlottesville

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 DUI / DWI charge be reduced to something lesser?

3.8% of DUI / DWI cases in Charlottesville were amended to a lesser charge in 2025. The most common reduction was to DWI, First Offense (3 cases), followed by DWI, Third or Subsequent Offense (1 cases). Whether a reduction is available depends on the specifics of the case and is typically negotiated between the defense attorney and the prosecutor.

How does Charlottesville compare to other Virginia courts?

Charlottesville has a 16.5% dismissal rate for DUI / DWI cases. Outcomes vary significantly across Virginia courts. View the DUI / DWI 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. See methodology for definitions, denominators, and known coverage gaps.

Read this before you quote a number

What this record cannot show

This page is built from what court clerks recorded for DUI / DWI cases in Charlottesville. Some of what you may want to know is not in that record.

The judge. Virginia’s court records do not carry the judge’s name, so nothing on this page describes any judge.
The prosecutor. The record names the office — the Charlottesville Commonwealth’s Attorney — not the individual prosecutor who handled a case.
Why a case ended the way it did. A dismissal can mean a witness did not appear, a motion was won, a plea was reached on another charge, or evidence never arrived. The record shows the outcome, not the reason.
Cases still open. Rates here count only the 97 cases that reached a dismissal, plea, verdict, or acquittal. The other 9 cases filed in 2025 were still pending or otherwise unresolved when the record was read, and they are in none of the rates.
Cases filed before 2025. This page covers cases filed in 2025. A case filed in 2024 and decided in 2025 is not here.
Whether the person had a lawyer. The court’s counsel field is not reliable enough to publish, so this page does not say who was represented, or whether counsel was hired or appointed.
Guilty plea or trial in General District Court. District court records do not say whether a conviction came by plea or after a trial. Only Circuit Court records do, so no plea or trial rate appears here.
What the 2026 half-year can show. The January to June 2026 figures are General District Court only, read at June 30, and count a case as resolved only if its final hearing was held by that date. 23 of the 51 cases filed were still open at the read. Circuit Court 2026 is not yet published; no year-over-year change is claimed.
Time actually served. Sentences here are what the court imposed. Suspended time is included unless a figure says <em>active</em>. Time served, credit for time already spent in jail, and early release are not in the record.

Every figure on this page comes from Virginia’s public court records as read on August 24, 2026. Coverage notes and definitions are in the methodology. If something here is wrong, tell us and we will check the record.

Cite this page

VirginiaCourtFile.com (2026). DUI / DWI Outcomes — Charlottesville, Virginia. Based on 106 public court records, 2025; last updated August 24, 2026. https://www.virginiacourtfile.com/charges/dui-dwi/charlottesville

Other Charges in Charlottesville

Assault & Battery

252 cases · 47.7% dismissed

Public Intoxication

252 cases · 36.8% dismissed

Failure to Appear

241 cases · 61.6% dismissed

Larceny / Theft

193 cases · 37.3% dismissed