Obstruction in Williamsburg

In Williamsburg, obstruction charges are dismissed at a notably high rate: 58.8 percent of the 218 cases ended in dismissal, compared to the statewide average of 43.6 percent. This 15-point gap suggests that Williamsburg prosecutors or courts handle these charges more skeptically than the rest of Virginia. Convictions occurred in 37.8 percent of cases, with plea agreements accounting for 37.2 percent, while acquittals were rare at 3.4 percent. The pattern indicates that most obstruction cases in this jurisdiction either get dropped entirely or resolved through guilty pleas rather than proceeding to trial.

When obstruction charges aren't dismissed, they're sometimes reduced to lesser offenses in about 7 percent of cases. The most common reduction target is eluding or disregarding police (appearing in 54.5 percent of reductions), followed by disorderly conduct. Defendants convicted of obstruction faced a median sentence of 180 days, though the average climbed to 375 days, indicating some cases resulted in substantially longer terms. Cases typically took 114 days to resolve, with the middle half of cases concluding between 60 and 207 days. The average fine imposed was $221.