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Criminal Court Outcomes in Lancaster County

5,666 cases · 2023–2024 · District & Circuit Courts

Based on 5,666 public court records from 2023–2024, criminal cases in Lancaster County have a 52.2% dismissal rate and a 42.8% conviction rate, with a median case duration of 3.8 months. This dismissal rate is above the statewide average of 34.7%.

The most common charges are Reckless Driving (259 cases, 38.8% dismissed), Larceny / Theft (233 cases), and Failure to Appear (164 cases).

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52.2%
Dismissal Rate
Statewide avg: 34.7%
42.8%
Conviction Rate
3.8 months
Median Duration

Courts

Court Cases Dismissal Rate Conviction Rate Median Duration
District Court 4,859 45.0% 53.8% 1.9 months
Circuit Court 807 59.5% 31.8% 5.7 months

Top Charges in Lancaster County

Click any charge to see detailed outcomes for Lancaster County.

Charge Cases Dismissal Rate Conviction Rate Reduction Rate Median Duration
Reckless Driving 259 38.8% 59.5% 32.4% 2.3 months
Larceny / Theft 233 80.9% 18.1% 0.4% 4.7 months
Failure to Appear 164 82.8% 15.2% — 5.2 months
DUI / DWI 117 14.6% 78.6% 8.5% 3.1 months
Driving Suspended 117 42.7% 57.3% 23.9% 3.8 months
Assault & Battery 97 65.4% 17.3% 2.1% 2.9 months
Weapons Offense 78 70.8% 23.1% 2.6% 4.2 months
Public Intoxication 71 58.7% 37.0% — 2.3 months
Trespassing 54 69.8% 20.9% — 3.6 months
Fraud / Forgery 52 66.7% 33.3% — 2.6 months

Officers in Lancaster County

Officers with the most cases on record in Lancaster County.

Officer Cases Dismissal Rate
A W Nowacki 581 39.5%
E Daw 518 33.9%
N M Sibley 406 34.9%
K S Hammell 349 33.2%
T O Turner 260 55.5%
W George 235 37.7%
Shane D Drayton 225 32.1%
I T Brittingham 194 24.8%

Data source: Virginia public court records, 2023–2024. 5,666 cases analyzed. Last updated December 2024. — VirginiaCourtFile.com

Common Questions

Lancaster County courts have a 52.2% dismissal rate across 5,666 cases from 2023–2024 public court records. The statewide average is 34.7%.
The most common charges include Reckless Driving (259 cases, 38.8% dismissed), Larceny / Theft (233 cases, 80.9% dismissed), Failure to Appear (164 cases, 82.8% dismissed), DUI / DWI (117 cases, 14.6% dismissed), Driving Suspended (117 cases, 42.7% dismissed).
The median criminal case takes 3.8 months. Duration varies by charge — for example, Reckless Driving cases take 2.3 months. These are based on 2023–2024 public records.
Lancaster County has a 52.2% dismissal rate, compared to the statewide average of 34.7%. Compare all 125 Virginia courts.

What's Next

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