What are the case outcomes for Failure to Appear in Chesapeake?

Based on 1217 cases in Chesapeake (2025 public records), 63.5% are dismissed, 22.6% result in a guilty plea, and 6.8% 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 Failure to Appear in Chesapeake?

The dismissal rate is 63.5%, based on 1217 cases from 2025 public court records. This includes judicial dismissals and nolle prosequi (cases dropped by the prosecutor).

How long does a Failure to Appear case take in Chesapeake?

The median case takes 3.4 months. The fastest 25% resolve in 1.7 months, while the slowest 25% take 6.0 months or longer. Duration depends on factors specific to each case.

What is the conviction rate for Failure to Appear in Chesapeake?

The conviction rate for Failure to Appear in Chesapeake is 25.0%, based on 1217 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 Failure to Appear in Chesapeake?

0.1% of Failure to Appear cases in Chesapeake are amended to a lesser charge based on 2025 court records. The most common reduction is to Fail To Appear, Misd. Offense.

What's the difference between General District Court and Circuit Court for Failure to Appear in Chesapeake?

Most Failure to Appear cases in Chesapeake are heard in General District Court (750 cases in 2025), where 63.5% are dismissed and the median case takes 3.7 months. 467 cases were heard in Circuit Court — typically jury trials, felonies, or appeals from District Court — where 75.6% are dismissed.

How does Chesapeake compare to other courts for Failure to Appear?

Chesapeake has a 63.5% dismissal rate for Failure to Appear. Visit the Failure to Appear overview page to compare dismissal rates, conviction rates, and case timelines across all Virginia jurisdictions.

What does the sentencing data show for Failure to Appear in Chesapeake?

For those convicted of Failure to Appear in Chesapeake, the average sentence recorded is 1.0 months (including suspended time). Actual sentences depend on the specifics of each case. Consult a licensed attorney for guidance on your situation.

Failure to Appear in Chesapeake, VA

If you've been charged with failure to appear in Chesapeake — this page shows what typically happens. Most cases (750 of 1,217) were heard in General District Court, where 63.5% were dismissed or dropped and the median case took 3.7 months. 467 cases moved to Circuit Court — typically jury trials, felonies, or appeals from District Court.

63.5%

Dismissal Rate

▲ vs 59.5% statewide

25.0%

Conviction Rate

▼ vs 34.7% statewide

3.4 months

Median Duration

I Outcomes

Case Outcomes — General District Court

How 750 General District Court cases in Chesapeake were resolved in 2025. This is where most Failure to Appear cases start.

Exhibit · Case-outcome distribution

57.1%

26.7%

Dismissed by judge 57.1% (n=297) Dropped by prosecutor (nolle prosequi) 6.3% (n=33) Guilty Plea 26.7% Found Guilty 0.0% Acquitted 9.8%

Largest outcomeDismissed by judge — 57.1% of 520 resolved cases.

Source: 750 General District Court records, Chesapeake, 2025 — VirginiaCourtFile.com

Exhibit · How Chesapeake compares

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

ChesapeakeThis page 63.5% 1,217 cases

Norfolk 66.3% 1,502 cases Newport News 53.4% 1,232 cases Virginia Beach 49.0% 989 cases Hampton 65.2% 888 cases

Statewide average 59.5% all Virginia

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

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

If your case goes to Circuit Court · 467 Failure to Appear cases in 2025

A small share of Failure to Appear cases in Chesapeake are heard in Circuit Court — typically jury trials, felonies, or appeals from General District Court. Outcomes look different at this level.

57.1%

18.5%

16.1%

Dismissed 57.1% (n=145) Nolle prosequi 18.5% (n=47) Guilty Plea 16.1% Found Guilty 6.3% Acquitted 2.0%

VCF Sentencing Outcome Index

Outcomes for 162 convicted cases in Chesapeake General District Court (2025-2026).

Exhibit · Sentencing when convicted

27.8%

Received Active Jail

Median 5 days when imposed

▼ vs 34.5% statewide

$50

Median Fine

45.1% received a fine

● vs $50 statewide

1.9%

Received Probation

Median suppressed (N<30)

▼ vs 9.5% statewide

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

0.1% of Failure to Appear cases
in Chesapeake are reduced

1 cases had their charge amended to a lesser offense.

Most common reductions

Failure to Appear Fail To Appear, Misd. Offense

1 cases · 100.0% of reductions

Case Duration

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

Exhibit · Case duration

Fastest 25% 1.7 months

Median 3.4 months

Slowest 25% 6.0 months

Defense Attorneys with Failure to Appear Cases in Chesapeake

Attorneys whose primary jurisdiction is Chesapeake and who appeared as defense counsel of record on Failure to Appear cases in 2025. Listed by case count.

Breanna Jefferson 60 of 609 total George Landry 57 of 532 total Taoxi Sun 46 of 639 total Erik A Mussoni 45 of 585 total Kathryn E Lord 44 of 732 total Camden Freeman 43 of 694 total Anna Katherine Somberg 43 of 480 total Sara M Spartz 37 of 494 total Leslee T Tingle 35 of 481 total Tyler Searcy 31 of 475 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 — Chesapeake

5,798 circuit court filings prosecuted by the Chesapeake 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 Failure to Appear arrests in Chesapeake are dismissed most frequently. Minimum 10 cases.

W Rallins 100.0% 10 cases N Murphy 80.0% 11 cases Z Bishop 80.0% 10 cases G Alcasid 75.0% 11 cases C Jackson 66.7% 13 cases

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

All arresting officers in Chesapeake

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.

What's the difference between General District Court and Circuit Court?

In Virginia, most Failure to Appear cases start in General District Court — that's where the 750 cases shown above were heard. Cases can move to Circuit Court for jury trials, felony indictments, or appeals from District Court. 467 Failure to Appear cases were heard in Chesapeake Circuit Court in 2025, where 75.6% were dismissed and 22.4% resulted in conviction.

Can a Failure to Appear charge be reduced to something lesser?

0.1% of Failure to Appear cases in Chesapeake were amended to a lesser charge in 2025. The most common reduction was to Fail To Appear, Misd. 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 Chesapeake compare to other Virginia courts?

Chesapeake has a 63.5% dismissal rate for Failure to Appear cases. Outcomes vary significantly across Virginia courts. View the Failure to Appear 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). Failure to Appear Outcomes — Chesapeake, Virginia. Based on 1,217 public court records, 2025; last updated May 2, 2026. https://www.virginiacourtfile.com/charges/failure-to-appear/chesapeake

Other Charges in Chesapeake

Larceny / Theft

1,196 cases · 52.5% dismissed

Weapons Offense

744 cases · 68.6% dismissed

Drug Possession

662 cases · 89.1% dismissed

Assault & Battery

575 cases · 68.1% dismissed