Chesapeake Juvenile Detention Criminal Court Process

Courts in the City of Chesapeake (circuit, general district, and juvenile and domestic relations courts)

In Virginia there are no municipal, town or mayor's courts; local ordinance violations and state crimes alike go to the state's district and circuit courts. Because the City of Chesapeake has no towns within its borders, a charge from any neighborhood, including South Norfolk, Western Branch, Deep Creek, Greenbrier, Indian River, Hickory or Great Bridge, ends up in the same courthouses. Each of the three courts below is part of the 1st Judicial Circuit or the matching 1st Judicial District, and none of them hears cases from other localities.

• Chesapeake General District Court, 307 Albemarle Drive, Chesapeake, VA 23322; pre-court (757) 382-3119, post-court (757) 382-3134
• Chesapeake Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court, 301 Albemarle Drive, Second Floor, Chesapeake, VA 23322, (757) 382-8100
• Chesapeake Circuit Court, 307 Albemarle Drive, Suite 300A, Chesapeake, VA 23322, (757) 382-3000
• Chesapeake Magistrate's Office, 400 Albemarle Drive, Suite A, Chesapeake, VA 23322, (757) 382-6534
• 1st District Court Service Unit, 301 Albemarle Drive, Chesapeake, VA 23322, (757) 382-8170
• Commonwealth's Attorney for the City of Chesapeake, 307 Albemarle Drive, Chesapeake, VA 23322, (757) 382-3200
• Chesapeake Public Defender Office, 135 Hanbury Road West, Suite D, Chesapeake, VA 23322, (757) 382-0098
• Chesapeake Sheriff's Office, (757) 382-6159
• Chesapeake Police Department, (757) 382-6161 (non-emergency)

General District Court

This is the court you are most likely to see first. Its judges try misdemeanors and traffic cases, hold preliminary hearings on felonies and review bond decisions made by magistrates. The clerk's office keeps hours of 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and divides criminal and traffic work into a pre-court desk, for continuances and prepayable tickets, and a post-court desk, for fines, payment plans and appeals.

Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court

Located in a separate building next door at 301 Albemarle Drive, the JDR court hears delinquency cases against children, adult charges involving family or household members, and protective-order requests. Its hearings are generally closed to the public when a juvenile is involved.

Circuit Court

The Circuit Court is the city's court of record and its only trial court with juries. Felony indictments, felony trials and sentencings, and appeals from the two district courts all happen here. The Clerk of the Circuit Court, an elected official, keeps the court's records and staffs the clerk's office from 8:30 a.m. to 3:45 p.m.

The magistrate, the Court Service Unit, the prosecutor, the public defender, the Sheriff and the police department each play a part, described in the sections that follow. Most arrests come from Chesapeake police officers, though state troopers and sheriff's deputies also file charges.

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From arrest to release in the City of Chesapeake

If a Chesapeake officer arrests you rather than writing a summons, you will be driven to the Correctional Center on Albemarle Drive. There, deputies book you: they take your photograph and fingerprints, collect and list your belongings, and check for any outstanding warrants from Chesapeake or elsewhere.

Seeing the magistrate

Next you go before a magistrate, whose office occupies Suite A of the same building at 400 Albemarle Drive. Sometimes this meeting happens over a video screen. The magistrate listens to the officer, decides whether there is probable cause for the charge, and, if so, issues a warrant or summons. The magistrate then decides whether you go home. Under the rules in effect since 2021, no charge carries an automatic presumption against release; the question is whether you are likely to return for court and whether letting you go would put a person or the public at risk.

The kinds of release

• Recognizance: you sign a promise to come to court and are released without paying anything.
• Unsecured bond: a dollar amount is written on the release order, but you pay it only if you fail to appear.
• Secured bond: the amount must be paid before release, either in full in cash or through a licensed bail bondsman, who generally keeps a fee of roughly 10 percent and may take collateral. The Department of Criminal Justice Services licenses Virginia bondsmen.

Whatever form release takes, the magistrate can add conditions. You might be ordered to stay away from the complaining witness, to avoid alcohol, to remain out of a particular residence or to check in with Chesapeake Community Corrections at 1202 20th Street ((757) 382-2499), the city agency that monitors people released while their cases are pending.

If you are not released

You can ask a judge to review the magistrate's decision at a bond hearing in the General District Court, or in the JDR court if the case involves a relative or you are a juvenile. Your lawyer usually requests this, often at your first appearance, and can bring in family members or an employer to support you. A denial can be appealed to the Circuit Court, and the Commonwealth can appeal too if it disagrees with a release.

Your first court date

People who stay in custody are usually taken before a judge the next day court is in session, frequently on video from the jail. This short hearing, called an advisement or arraignment, is where you hear the charge read, learn that you have a right to a lawyer, tell the judge whether you will hire one or need one appointed, and receive your next date. You will not normally be asked to plead or present evidence yet. If you were released, simply come to court on the date on your papers.

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Lawyers for people who cannot afford one: the Chesapeake Public Defender

Chesapeake has its own state-funded public defender office, part of the Virginia Indigent Defense Commission. You will find it at 135 Hanbury Road West, Suite D, Chesapeake, VA 23322, and you can call it at (757) 382-0098. The office handles cases only from the City of Chesapeake and represents qualifying adults and children charged with offenses that could lead to jail.

Getting a lawyer appointed

You can start the process at several points. Tell the magistrate right after your arrest that you cannot afford an attorney; tell the judge at your advisement; or, if you are out on a summons, stop by the General District Court clerk's office before your court date (pre-court line (757) 382-3119) and ask for the financial statement form used to request appointed counsel. You will be asked about your wages, savings, property, debts and the number of people you support. The judge compares your answers to state income guidelines based on the federal poverty level, and can still appoint a lawyer when your income is a bit higher but the charge is serious or your expenses are unusual. Answer truthfully, because a false statement on the form is a separate crime.

When the public defender cannot take the case

If the office has a conflict, for example because it already represents a co-defendant or a witness against you, the judge appoints a private attorney certified for court-appointed work instead. You do not get to pick the specific lawyer either way.

What it costs

You pay nothing up front. If you are convicted, though, Virginia allows the court to add a set fee for the appointed lawyer to your court costs, up to a cap that depends on the type of charge. You are always free to hire a private lawyer instead; the Virginia State Bar operates a lawyer referral service if you need a name. If you are being held without bail, ask for counsel right away, since your lawyer is the one who will push for a bond hearing.

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Inside the Chesapeake Correctional Center

The Chesapeake Correctional Center sits at 400 Albemarle Drive, beside the court complex, and is run by the Chesapeake Sheriff's Office. It houses three main groups: people awaiting trial on Chesapeake charges, people serving local jail sentences of up to 12 months, and people sentenced to more than 12 months who are waiting to be moved into the Virginia Department of Corrections. The magistrate's office is in the same building, so booking, the release decision and the posting of a bond all happen at one address.

The end of the regional jail arrangement

Until recently, Chesapeake could send some prisoners to the Hampton Roads Regional Jail in Portsmouth, a facility owned jointly with four other Hampton Roads cities. Its board voted in October 2023 to shut the jail down, and the inmates still there were returned to the cities that had sent them. Today the City of Chesapeake keeps its own pretrial population at the Correctional Center. If your relative was arrested by Virginia Beach, Norfolk or Portsmouth police, look for him or her in that city's jail instead, regardless of where the person lives.

Calling, visiting and sending money

Call the Sheriff's Office at (757) 382-6159 to confirm whether someone is in custody, what the release conditions are, and how visiting, phone accounts, mail and commissary deposits work. Have the person's full legal name and date of birth handy. Rules on visiting hours and permitted items are updated periodically, so check before you make the trip. Victims who want to be told when a particular inmate is released or transferred can sign up for the free statewide automated notification service the Sheriff participates in.

Paying a bond

A secured bond is paid at the magistrate's office inside the Correctional Center, which never closes. If you post cash, it is refunded at the end of the case once the defendant has made every court date, although the court may apply it to fines and costs first. Once a lawyer is appointed, he or she can visit the client inside the jail.

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Treatment and specialty dockets in the City of Chesapeake

Some defendants whose crimes grow out of addiction, mental illness or military service can have their cases handled on a specialty docket rather than the regular calendar. In Virginia these programs operate under the supervision of the Supreme Court of Virginia and come in three types: recovery courts, also called drug treatment courts; veterans treatment dockets; and behavioral health dockets. The City of Chesapeake has long had a drug treatment court in its Circuit Court for people facing felony charges tied to substance use.

What participation involves

Expect intensive supervision: regular appearances before the same judge, random drug tests, treatment sessions, curfews and employment or school requirements. Good progress earns rewards and fewer court dates, while relapses or missed appointments bring sanctions such as extra community service or a few days in jail. Programs commonly last at least a year. Graduates may see charges reduced or dismissed or receive a lighter sentence, depending on the agreement they signed when they entered.

How to apply

Talk to your lawyer first; referrals usually come from the defense, and the Commonwealth's Attorney typically has to consent. Program staff will assess whether you meet the legal and clinical criteria. Violent charges and sales of drugs for profit often disqualify an applicant. If you are being held at the Chesapeake Correctional Center, screening can still take place, and the team may support release on a bond with treatment conditions so that you can start.

Veterans and behavioral health dockets depend on state approval and local resources, which change over time, so confirm whether either is operating in Chesapeake by asking the public defender ((757) 382-0098) or the Circuit Court clerk ((757) 382-3000). The city does not have a separate DUI court; people convicted of DUI are instead sent to the Virginia Alcohol Safety Action Program for classes, treatment and interlock monitoring.

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Prosecution, plea offers and diversion in the City of Chesapeake

Your case is prosecuted by the Commonwealth's Attorney for the City of Chesapeake, whose office is at 307 Albemarle Drive ((757) 382-3200). Assistant Commonwealth's Attorneys screen arrests, decide which charges to pursue, present felonies to the grand jury, try cases and make plea offers. For many traffic offenses and lesser misdemeanors in the General District Court, no prosecutor is assigned, and the arresting officer presents the evidence; the office can join any case it wants, though.

Victims and witnesses can get help from the Chesapeake Victim/Witness Program at (757) 382-6794. Staff explain what to expect in court, help victims seek protective orders, sit with them during hearings, help them write impact statements and assist with restitution and claims to the state's crime victims compensation fund, all as guaranteed by the Crime Victim and Witness Rights Act.

Paths that can avoid a conviction

Drug first offenders. If you have never been convicted of a drug offense and are charged with simple possession, the court can put you on probation with testing, treatment and community service, then dismiss the charge if you comply.

Domestic assault first offenders. A first charge of assault and battery on a family or household member can be deferred by the JDR court on conditions such as an anger-management or batterer-intervention program, followed by dismissal.

Deferral by the judge. A 2020 change in Virginia law gives judges power in many cases to withhold a finding of guilt, impose conditions and dismiss the charge later, with or without the prosecutor's consent.

Plea bargains. Prosecutors can agree to reduce a felony to a misdemeanor, or a DUI to reckless driving, in exchange for a guilty plea.

Be aware that a first DUI cannot be deferred and dismissed under Virginia law. Dismissed and deferred charges, and some convictions, may become eligible for sealing under the state's record-sealing statute; ask a lawyer whether yours qualifies. Prosecutors also have a say in bail questions and can ask a judge to revoke a release if conditions are broken.

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Finding your way around the Chesapeake court buildings

Chesapeake's courts are grouped together at the city's municipal center in Great Bridge, close to City Hall. The main courthouse, at 307 Albemarle Drive, holds both the General District Court and the Circuit Court, with the circuit clerk's office in Suite 300A and the judges' chambers upstairs. The Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court and the 1st District Court Service Unit work from the building at 301 Albemarle Drive. The jail and the magistrate are at 400 Albemarle Drive, and the juvenile detention center is at 420 Albemarle Drive.

Before you go

Deputies screen everyone who enters, so do not bring pocketknives, scissors, pepper spray or similar items. Each court sets its own rules about phones and electronic devices, and the JDR court has a written policy, so ask the clerk in advance if you need to bring a device. Give yourself extra time; the security line can back up before morning dockets begin. Wear clean, modest clothing, and bring your summons or warrant, a photo ID and any documents your lawyer asked for.

Who to call

For a new court date, a continuance or a prepayable ticket in General District Court, call the pre-court desk at (757) 382-3119; for fines, payment plans or noting an appeal after court, call (757) 382-3134. Felony scheduling and Circuit Court records go through the circuit clerk at (757) 382-3000. The JDR clerk at (757) 382-8100 handles family-abuse and juvenile matters, which are kept confidential. If you need an interpreter, let the clerk know ahead of time and the court will provide one free of charge. To post a bond for someone in custody, go to the magistrate's office at the Correctional Center, which is open overnight and on weekends.

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Misdemeanor (for example, petit larceny, a first DUI, assault and battery, trespassing)

Misdemeanor penalties in Virginia depend on the class of the offense:

• Class 1: as much as 12 months in jail, a fine of as much as $2,500, or both.
• Class 2: as much as 6 months in jail, a fine of as much as $1,000, or both.
• Class 3: a fine of no more than $500.
• Class 4: a fine of no more than $250.

The everyday charges people face in Chesapeake are often Class 1: petit larceny (taking something worth under $1,000), assault and battery, and trespass after being told to leave or to stay off a property.

What your case will look like

You may have received a summons with a court date and never been jailed, or you may have been arrested, seen the magistrate and been released on a bond. Your first hearing in the General District Court is an advisement, where the judge confirms how you will get a lawyer and schedules trial, normally a few weeks out. On the trial date, a judge, not a jury, hears from the officer and any witnesses, and you and your lawyer can cross-examine them and present your own evidence before the judge rules.

The result could be a dismissal or acquittal, a deferral for a first offender, a fine, community service, a suspended jail sentence with probation, or time served at the Chesapeake Correctional Center. If you are convicted and disagree, you have 10 days to note an appeal to the Circuit Court, which wipes out the district court verdict and holds a brand-new trial, before a jury if you want one; be aware that the new sentence could be harsher. A misdemeanor in the City of Chesapeake usually wraps up in one to three months, plus extra time if you appeal.

If the charge is a first DUI

Even a first offense of driving under the influence is a Class 1 misdemeanor. Your license is suspended administratively for 7 days at the time of arrest. A conviction brings a mandatory minimum fine of $250, a one-year license revocation and required completion of VASAP, the Virginia Alcohol Safety Action Program. If your blood alcohol was between 0.15 and 0.20, you face a mandatory 5 days in jail; a reading over 0.20 doubles that minimum to 10 days. The judge may allow a restricted license, typically with an ignition interlock, so you can drive to work, school or treatment.

If the alleged victim is family

A charge of assaulting a spouse, ex-spouse, parent, child, sibling, the other parent of your child or anyone you live with is heard in the JDR court, and the magistrate will often issue an emergency protective order right away. First offenders may be eligible for a deferral that ends in dismissal, but a third conviction for family assault within the statutory window can be prosecuted as a felony. Qualifying defendants in either court can be represented by the Chesapeake Public Defender ((757) 382-0098).

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Felony (for example, burglary, grand larceny, drug possession or distribution, malicious wounding)

Felonies in Virginia are grouped into six classes, and many specific crimes carry their own statutory ranges. At the low end, a Class 6 felony means one to five years in prison or, if the judge or jury chooses, up to 12 months in jail; a Class 5 felony means one to ten years, with the same jail option; a Class 4, two to ten years; and a Class 3, five to twenty years. Here is how some frequent charges in the City of Chesapeake fit in:

• Grand larceny, meaning theft of $1,000 or more in value, carries one to 20 years in prison, or up to 12 months in jail.
• Burglary of a dwelling at night: a Class 3 felony, raised to Class 2 when the burglar carries a deadly weapon; other statutory burglaries are punishable by as much as 20 years.
• Possession of a Schedule I or II drug (fentanyl, heroin and cocaine are examples) is a Class 5 felony.
• Distribution or possession with intent to distribute: 5 to 40 years on a first offense, with mandatory minimum terms for large amounts. Marijuana possession of up to one ounce has been legal for adults 21 and over since 2021, but selling it is still illegal.
• Malicious wounding: a Class 3 felony. Unlawful wounding, which lacks malice, is a Class 6 felony.

Step one: the preliminary hearing

Once the magistrate has ruled on bail and you have been advised of your rights, your felony goes back to the General District Court for a preliminary hearing. This is not a trial. The Commonwealth only has to show probable cause, usually through the detective or the alleged victim, and your lawyer can cross-examine those witnesses, which often reveals the strengths and weaknesses of the case. A probable cause finding sends, or certifies, your charge to the grand jury; without one, it is dismissed, although prosecutors can still go to the grand jury. You may choose to waive the hearing as part of a deal, and prosecutors sometimes skip it by seeking a direct indictment.

Step two: grand jury and trial court

A Chesapeake Circuit Court grand jury, which sits on a set schedule, reviews the evidence and returns a true bill if it finds enough to indict. You are then arraigned in Circuit Court, where you answer the indictment. The great majority of felony cases are settled by plea agreement. If yours is tried, you decide between a bench trial and a jury of 12, whose verdict must be unanimous. Since July 2021, a judge decides the sentence unless you request that the jury do it. A probation officer generally writes a presentence report, and the judge reviews Virginia's discretionary sentencing guidelines, which suggest a range the court may depart from.

Step three: timing and the sentence itself

Virginia's speedy-trial law requires trial within five months after probable cause is found at the preliminary hearing if you are in custody, and within nine months if you are free, subject to delays your side requests and other exceptions. Expect four to twelve months from arrest to sentencing in an ordinary felony case. There has been no parole for felonies committed since January 1, 1995, and earned sentence credits, which differ by offense, are the main way to shorten a term. Sentences over 12 months are served in the Virginia Department of Corrections; shorter ones are served locally at the Chesapeake Correctional Center. If you qualify, the Chesapeake Public Defender can stay with your case from the first hearing through sentencing.

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Violent felony (for example, murder, rape, robbery)

Homicide, sexual assault and armed robbery cases follow the same route as other felonies, from the General District Court to the grand jury and then the Circuit Court, but they carry the heaviest punishments in Virginia law and almost always take longer.

• Aggravated murder (the charge once known as capital murder): a Class 1 felony that sends the offender to prison for life. Virginia ended the death penalty in 2021.
• First-degree murder, a willful, deliberate and premeditated killing: a Class 2 felony carrying a term of 20 years up to life.
• Second-degree murder: 5 to 40 years.
• Rape: 5 years to life.
• Robbery: 5 years to life.
• Aggravated malicious wounding, where the victim is left with a permanent and significant physical impairment: a Class 2 felony.

Release before trial

No charge in Virginia now carries an automatic presumption against bail, but in a violent felony the magistrate and judges pay particular attention to the safety of the victim and the community. In practice, many people charged with murder, rape or armed robbery in the City of Chesapeake are held without release or face very high bond amounts. Your lawyer can request a bond hearing in the General District Court and appeal to the Circuit Court, presenting evidence such as steady work, family support, a stable address and a clean record. If release is denied, you will stay at the Chesapeake Correctional Center while the case is pending.

Building and trying the case

These prosecutions often turn on scientific and digital evidence: DNA, firearms examinations, cell-phone location data, surveillance footage and medical records. Testing and expert review can take months for both sides. At trial, the 12 jurors must be unanimous. After a guilty verdict, the judge sets the sentence with the guidelines as a reference, unless you asked for jury sentencing, and because parole was abolished for crimes after 1995, the time imposed is close to the time served. Plan on one to two years from arrest to verdict. Every convicted defendant has an appeal of right to the Court of Appeals of Virginia, and the Supreme Court of Virginia may take a further appeal.

Rights of victims and families

Victims, and the families of people who were killed, have rights under the Crime Victim and Witness Rights Act: to be notified of hearings, to attend, to give an impact statement before sentencing and to request restitution. Call the Chesapeake Victim/Witness Program at (757) 382-6794 for guidance through each stage; prosecutors at (757) 382-3200 confer with victims before agreeing to pleas in serious cases.

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Juveniles (under 18) arrested in the City of Chesapeake

Children under 18 who are accused of crimes in the City of Chesapeake are handled by the Chesapeake Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court, 301 Albemarle Drive, rather than by the adult courts. In most cases the first official step is a complaint to the Court Service Unit for the 1st District, a Department of Juvenile Justice office in the same building, reachable at (757) 382-8170.

The intake decision

The intake officer who reads the complaint has three main options. The first is diversion: for a minor, first-time offense, the officer can resolve the matter without court, typically with restitution, community service, counseling, an apology letter or a short educational program. The second is a formal petition, which puts the case before a JDR judge. The third, used when the youth appears dangerous or likely to flee, is to authorize secure detention while the petition is pending.

Detention and the 72-hour hearing

Detained youths from Chesapeake are held at Chesapeake Juvenile Services, 420 Albemarle Drive ((757) 382-9788), a detention center the city operates beside the court campus. Some surrounding localities that used to place children there now send them mostly to other centers. Within 72 hours, on the next day the JDR court is in session, a judge holds a detention hearing and decides whether the child goes home to a parent, goes home under conditions such as electronic monitoring or house arrest, or stays in detention. Children are not released on bail the way adults are.

Court, counsel and possible outcomes

Juvenile cases are prosecuted by the Chesapeake Commonwealth's Attorney. A child charged with delinquency has a right to a lawyer, and when the family cannot afford one, the court appoints the public defender or a private attorney. A JDR judge hears the evidence without a jury. If the judge finds the charge proved, the disposition might be a dismissal after a period of good behavior, probation through the Court Service Unit, community-based services, restitution, counseling, a short detention stay, or, in serious or repeated cases, commitment to the Department of Juvenile Justice. Committed youths are placed at Bon Air Juvenile Correctional Center in Chesterfield County or in a community program.

When a juvenile can be tried as an adult

For certain serious felonies, a child who was at least 14 at the time can be transferred to the Circuit Court after a JDR transfer hearing, at which the judge weighs factors such as age, maturity, prior record and the nature of the offense. For the most serious charges, including murder and aggravated malicious wounding, a 16- or 17-year-old may be certified to the Circuit Court at the Commonwealth's Attorney's request after a JDR judge finds probable cause at a preliminary hearing. Adult prosecution can lead to an adult sentence, which is why an early lawyer matters so much.

In most situations Virginia keeps juvenile records confidential and closed to the public, with exceptions for older youths convicted of serious felonies. Parents with questions about intake, detention or probation can call the Court Service Unit at (757) 382-8170.

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Federal cases (U.S. District Court) from the City of Chesapeake

A federal charge arising in the City of Chesapeake is filed in the Eastern District of Virginia, and the courthouse that handles it is the Norfolk Division's Walter E. Hoffman U.S. Courthouse, 600 Granby Street, Norfolk, VA 23510. The clerk's office there can be reached at (757) 222-7202. Cases from neighboring Virginia Beach, Portsmouth, Suffolk and Norfolk are heard in the same building.

What makes a case federal

Federal prosecution generally follows an investigation by a federal agency, such as the FBI, DEA, ATF, Homeland Security Investigations or NCIS, sometimes with Chesapeake officers on a joint task force. Typical charges include drug trafficking networks, gun possession by convicted felons and others barred from owning firearms, bank robbery, crimes involving the sexual exploitation of children, and fraud against banks, insurers or federal programs. Crimes committed on federal property belong in federal court as well. Within or next to the City of Chesapeake, that can mean the Great Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Refuge along the city's southwest side and Navy land such as the Northwest Annex in the southern part of the city, as well as nearby bases including Naval Station Norfolk and Norfolk Naval Shipyard. Small violations on federal land are frequently resolved through petty-offense citations before a magistrate judge.

Who prosecutes and who defends

The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Virginia handles Chesapeake cases from its Norfolk branch, 101 West Main Street, Suite 8000, Norfolk, VA 23510, (757) 441-6331. If you cannot afford counsel, the court will assign either the Federal Public Defender for the Eastern District of Virginia, which has a Norfolk office at 500 East Main Street, or a private attorney from its Criminal Justice Act panel.

The federal process, step by step

Your first court event is an initial appearance before a U.S. magistrate judge, who explains the charges and your rights and arranges counsel. Federal judges set no money bail payable through a bondsman. Under the Bail Reform Act, the judge either releases you under conditions monitored by U.S. Pretrial Services or orders you detained after a hearing that ordinarily takes place within three court days of the government's motion. If you were charged by complaint, a grand jury generally has 30 days from your arrest to indict. The Speedy Trial Act then calls for trial within 70 days of the indictment or your first appearance, minus excluded time. This district has a long reputation as the "rocket docket" because it moves cases unusually fast, so deadlines arrive quickly.

A large majority of federal cases end in guilty pleas, often under written agreements with the government. If you go to trial, 12 jurors must agree unanimously. After a conviction, a U.S. probation officer prepares a presentence investigation report, and the judge works out the range under the advisory U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, subject to any mandatory minimum term Congress set for the offense, as with some drug-weight and gun charges. Parole was abolished in federal cases; with good-conduct credit, people generally serve around 85 percent of the term in a Bureau of Prisons facility, then a period of supervised release. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit hears appeals from this district.

Finding a person held on federal charges

To locate someone, type a name or register number into the Federal Bureau of Prisons inmate locator. A defendant waiting for trial may be housed in a local or regional jail that contracts with the U.S. Marshals Service, and in that case the person can also turn up on the jail's own inmate roster. Youths under 18 are seldom charged in federal court, and nearly every juvenile case from the city stays in the Chesapeake JDR court.

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