Larceny / Theft in Frederick County

Frederick County handles larceny and theft cases with a notably higher dismissal rate than Virginia statewide. The county dismissed 53.2 percent of cases compared to the statewide average of 48.6 percent—a four-point-six percentage point advantage for defendants. With 1,532 cases on record, this pattern suggests Frederick County prosecutors or judges apply stricter screening before prosecution or are more responsive to defense challenges. Convictions occurred in 46.6 percent of cases, with plea agreements accounting for 46.5 percent, indicating most convictions result from negotiated settlements rather than trial acquittals, which happened in only 0.2 percent of cases.

Cases moved relatively quickly through the system. The median time from charge to resolution was 121 days, though outcomes varied widely: a quarter of cases resolved within 81 days while a quarter took nearly 291 days. Defendants convicted faced sentences averaging 513 days, with a median of one year. Charge reductions occurred in just 1.2 percent of larceny cases, when they did happen, defendants typically saw reductions to trespass charges or petit larceny rather than acquittal or dismissal, suggesting prosecutors retained leverage even when adjusting the original charge downward.