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

Of 137 cases filed in Salem in 2025 (public records), 116 reached a dismissal, plea, verdict, or acquittal. Of those, 31.9% are dismissed, 68.1% result in conviction, and 0.0% end in acquittal. The median case takes 2.3 months. Individual outcomes depend on the specific facts of each case.

What is the dismissal rate for Failure to Appear in Salem?

The dismissal rate is 31.9% of the 116 cases that reached an outcome, out of 137 filed in 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 Salem?

The median case takes 2.3 months. The fastest 25% resolve in 1.2 months, while the slowest 25% take 5.4 months or longer. Duration depends on factors specific to each case.

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

The conviction rate for Failure to Appear in Salem is 68.1% of the 116 cases that reached an outcome, out of 137 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 Failure to Appear in Salem?

4.4% of Failure to Appear cases in Salem 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 Salem?

Failure to Appear cases in Salem are heard in General District Court (137 cases in 2025).

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

Salem has a 31.9% 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 Salem?

For those convicted of Failure to Appear in Salem, the average sentence recorded is 29 days (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 Salem, VA

Based on 137 public court records from 2025, Failure to Appear cases in Salem General District Court have a 31.9% dismissal rate (statewide avg: 58.8%), a 68.1% conviction rate, and a median case duration of 2.3 months.

Key takeaways

31.9% of Failure to Appear cases in Salem were dismissed or dropped in 2025, across 137 public court records (Virginia average: 58.8%).
68.1% resulted in conviction.
4.4% were amended to a lesser charge, most often Fail To Appear, Misd. Offense.
The median case resolved in 2.3 months; the slowest quarter took 5.4 months or more.

31.9%

Dismissal Rate

▼ vs 58.8% statewide

68.1%

Conviction Rate

▲ vs 35.5% statewide

2.3 months

Median Duration

I Outcomes

Case Outcomes — General District Court

Of 137 General District Court cases in Salem filed in 2025, 116 ended in a dismissal, plea, verdict, or acquittal — the basis for the rates below. This is where most Failure to Appear cases start.

Exhibit · Case-outcome distribution

23.3%

68.1%

Dismissed by judge 23.3% (n=27) Dropped by prosecutor (nolle prosequi) 8.6% (n=10) Convicted 68.1% (n=79) Acquitted 0.0%

Largest outcomeConvicted — 68.1% of 116 resolved cases.

Source: 137 General District Court records, Salem, 2025. See the 2025 Virginia Criminal Court Outcomes report for statewide context. — VirginiaCourtFile.com

Exhibit · How Salem compares

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

SalemThis page 31.9% 137 cases

Roanoke City 51.2% 520 cases Roanoke County 49.3% 459 cases Montgomery County 61.4% 345 cases Botetourt County 41.6% 236 cases

Statewide average 58.8% all Virginia

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

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

VCF Sentencing Outcome Index

Outcomes for 96 convicted cases in Salem General District Court (2025-2026).

Exhibit · Sentencing when convicted

28.1%

Received Active Jail

Median suppressed (N<30)

▼ vs 34.4% statewide

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

4.4% of Failure to Appear cases
in Salem are reduced

8 cases had their charge amended to a lesser offense.

Most common reductions

Failure to Appear Fail To Appear, Misd. Offense

7 cases · 87.5% of reductions

Failure to Appear Non-Compliance With Vasap

1 cases · 12.5% of reductions

Case Duration

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

Exhibit · Case duration

Fastest 25% 1.2 months

Median 2.3 months

Slowest 25% 5.4 months

II Getting Help

Getting Help With a Failure to Appear Charge

Representation options in Salem.

If you cannot afford an attorney for a failure to appear 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 Salem. Defense attorneys who have appeared on failure to appear cases in Salem are listed below.

Defense Attorneys with Failure to Appear Cases in Salem

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

Scott Gardner 23 of 276 total Jeff Dorsey 13 of 104 total Rachel Jackson 6 of 115 total Mark D Kidd 4 of 34 total Brad Thompson 2 of 49 total Kristen Shandor 1 of 20 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 — Salem

499 circuit court filings prosecuted by the Salem 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 Salem are dismissed most frequently. Minimum 10 cases.

Salem General District Court 31.9% 137 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 Salem

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 Failure to Appear charge be reduced to something lesser?

4.4% of Failure to Appear cases in Salem were amended to a lesser charge in 2025. The most common reduction was to Fail To Appear, Misd. Offense (7 cases), followed by Non-Compliance With Vasap (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 Salem compare to other Virginia courts?

Salem has a 31.9% 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. 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 Failure to Appear cases in Salem. 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 Salem 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 116 cases that reached a dismissal, plea, verdict, or acquittal. The other 21 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.
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). Failure to Appear Outcomes — Salem, Virginia. Based on 137 public court records, 2025; last updated August 24, 2026. https://www.virginiacourtfile.com/charges/failure-to-appear/salem

Other Charges in Salem

Probation Violation

194 cases · 98.9% dismissed

Reckless Driving

183 cases · 48.2% dismissed

Driving Suspended

167 cases · 38.6% dismissed

Drug Possession

166 cases · 44.0% dismissed