Trespassing in Alexandria

Alexandria's trespassing cases show a dismissal rate of 70.5 percent, nearly 18 percentage points higher than Virginia's statewide average of 52.6 percent. Out of 736 cases, this means the majority of trespassing charges do not result in conviction. Convictions occurred in just 29.4 percent of cases, with fewer than 1 percent ending in acquittal. This pattern suggests Alexandria prosecutors or courts handle trespassing charges with restraint compared to other jurisdictions across the state, potentially reflecting how the independent city applies its own charging and prosecutorial standards.

When charges are not dismissed, they rarely go to trial. Nearly all convictions came through plea agreements rather than adjudication. Defendants whose cases were reduced faced three equally common alternative charges: unlawful entry, obstruct/resist with threat or force, and intoxication in public, each representing a third of reductions. Those convicted received a median sentence of 30 days and median fine of $110, with cases typically resolved in 78 days from filing to disposition, though the middle 50 percent of cases resolved between 41 and 132 days.