What are the most common criminal charges in Nelson County?

The most common charges in Nelson County include Reckless Driving, Drug Possession, Driving Suspended, based on 2025 public court records. Click any charge to see detailed outcome data for Nelson County.

How long do criminal cases take in Nelson County?

The median criminal case in Nelson County takes 2.8 months from filing to disposition, based on 2025 public court records. Duration varies significantly by charge type.

How does Nelson County compare to other Virginia courts?

Nelson County has a 19.5% dismissal rate, compared to the statewide average of 40.5%. This is below the state average. See the full court comparison at /courts.

Nelson County Criminal Court Outcomes

Q: What is the dismissal rate in Nelson County courts?

Nelson County courts have a 19.5% dismissal rate across 5,060 cases from 2025 public court records. The statewide average is 40.5%. Rates vary by charge type — see the breakdown on this page.

Based on 5,060 public court records from 2025, criminal cases in Nelson County have a 19.5% dismissal rate and a 75.6% conviction rate, with a median case duration of 2.8 months. This dismissal rate is below the statewide average of 40.5%.

The most common charges are Reckless Driving (188 cases, 5.0% dismissed), Drug Possession (80 cases), and Driving Suspended (67 cases).

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19.5%

Dismissal Rate

Statewide avg: 40.5%

75.6%

Conviction Rate

2.8 months

Median Duration

Courts

Court	Cases	Dismissal Rate	Conviction Rate	Median Duration
District Court	4,602	11.7%	84.4%	1.9 months
Circuit Court	458	27.3%	66.7%	3.7 months

Top Charges in Nelson County

Click any charge to see detailed outcomes for Nelson County.

Charge	Cases	Dismissal Rate	Conviction Rate	Reduction Rate	Median Duration
Reckless Driving	188	5.0%	87.2%	44.7%	2.5 months
Drug Possession	80	47.5%	50.3%	1.3%	4.7 months
Driving Suspended	67	6.6%	88.5%	31.3%	2.8 months
Assault & Battery	29	65.2%	17.4%	—	2.4 months
DUI / DWI	29	0.0%	91.7%	13.8%	4.5 months
Weapons Offense	29	63.6%	18.2%	3.4%	3.0 months
Failure to Appear	23	52.6%	42.1%	—	3.8 months

Officers in Nelson County

Officers with the most cases on record in Nelson County.

Officer	Cases	Dismissal Rate
Keith W Brown	1,002	11.0%
Eric Gibson	573	8.5%
Bryan Brookins	470	3.7%
Robert Richardson	358	6.2%
Michael Stogdale	187	3.1%
Hackenbracht	149	6.3%
Mark Carroll	140	2.3%
Fox	112	8.7%

Data source: Virginia public court records, 2025. 5,060 cases analyzed. Last updated May 2, 2026. — VirginiaCourtFile.com

Common Questions

Nelson County courts have a 19.5% dismissal rate across 5,060 cases from 2025 public court records. The statewide average is 40.5%.

The most common charges include Reckless Driving (188 cases, 5.0% dismissed), Drug Possession (80 cases, 47.5% dismissed), Driving Suspended (67 cases, 6.6% dismissed), Assault & Battery (29 cases, 65.2% dismissed), DUI / DWI (29 cases, 0.0% dismissed).

The median criminal case takes 2.8 months. Duration varies by charge — for example, Reckless Driving cases take 2.5 months. These are based on 2025 public records.

Nelson County has a 19.5% dismissal rate, compared to the statewide average of 40.5%. Compare all 125 Virginia courts.

What's Next

Now that you've seen the data for Nelson County, an attorney who handles cases at this court can tell you what it means for your situation — free, no obligation.