Chesterfield Juvenile Detention Home Criminal Court Process

1. Courts in Chesterfield County (circuit, general district, and juvenile and domestic relations courts)

No municipal, town or mayor's court exists anywhere in Virginia, so every local criminal charge goes to a state court. Chesterfield County has no incorporated towns at all: places such as Chester, Midlothian, Bon Air, Ettrick, Matoaca and Enon are unincorporated communities, and charges written in any of them are filed in the Chesterfield General District Court, the Chesterfield JDR court or the Chesterfield Circuit Court.

Courts and clerks

• Chesterfield General District Court (12th Judicial District; misdemeanors, traffic, felony preliminary hearings, bond hearings), 9500 Courthouse Road (P.O. Box 144), Chesterfield, VA 23832, (804) 748-1231. Its clerks work from 8:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m., and one main number serves the criminal, traffic and civil divisions.
• Chesterfield Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court (12th Judicial District; juvenile delinquency, family-member assaults, protective orders), 7000 Lucy Corr Boulevard, Chesterfield, VA 23832, (804) 748-1379; the JDR clerks keep the same weekday hours.
• Chesterfield Circuit Court (12th Judicial Circuit; felony trials, grand jury, misdemeanor appeals), 9500 Courthouse Road, 1st Floor (P.O. Box 125), Chesterfield, VA 23832. Circuit Court Clerk (804) 748-1241, Criminal Division (804) 717-6980; clerk's hours 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Magistrate, juvenile intake and prosecution

• 12th District Magistrate's Office, Chesterfield (warrants and bail decisions around the clock, every day of the year), 6900 Mimms Loop, Chesterfield, VA 23832, (804) 748-1410
• 12th District Court Service Unit (intake and juvenile probation for Chesterfield County and Colonial Heights), 7000 Lucy Corr Boulevard, Chesterfield, VA 23832, (804) 748-1372
• Chesterfield County Commonwealth's Attorney, 9500 Courthouse Road (P.O. Box 25), Chesterfield, VA 23832, (804) 748-1221; Victim/Witness Assistance (804) 796-7087
• Office of the Public Defender, Chesterfield, 5601 Ironbridge Parkway, Suite 200, Chester, VA 23831, (804) 662-7171

Law enforcement and custody

• Chesterfield County Police Department (the county's primary patrol and investigating agency), 10001 Iron Bridge Road, Chesterfield, VA 23832, (804) 748-1251
• Chesterfield County Sheriff's Office (jail, courthouse security, warrant and civil process service), 9500 Courthouse Road (P.O. Box 940), Chesterfield, VA 23832, (804) 748-1261
• Chesterfield County Jail, 6900 Mimms Drive, Chesterfield, VA 23832, (804) 748-1476

Because the Chesterfield County Police Department, not the Sheriff, handles most patrol work, the officer who makes an arrest is usually a county police officer, while the Sheriff's deputies take over once the person is brought to the jail. Virginia State Police troopers also make arrests on Interstate 95, Interstate 295 and Route 288, and those cases go to the same Chesterfield courts. Anyone who cannot afford a lawyer can ask the magistrate or the judge to appoint the public defender, and questions about bail after the magistrate's decision go to the General District Court clerk.

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2. The Chesterfield Courthouse complex and the 12th Judicial Circuit

Nearly every step of a Chesterfield criminal case happens on one government campus near the intersection of Iron Bridge Road and Courthouse Road. The Courts Building at 9500 Courthouse Road holds the Circuit Court and its clerk's office on the first floor and the General District Court, and the Commonwealth's Attorney and the Sheriff list the same street address. The Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court has its own building nearby on Lucy Corr Boulevard, which also houses the Court Service Unit. The magistrate's office and the jail are on the Mimms Loop and Mimms Drive side of the complex.

How the courts divide the work

• General District Court. The 12th District's general district judges keep separate criminal and traffic dockets every weekday. Criminal and traffic cases begin calling at 8:30 a.m., with additional sessions in the morning and afternoon Monday through Thursday. Arraignments are held each weekday morning, with a 10:30 a.m. session for people who are out on bail and an 11:00 a.m. session for people still in custody, who usually appear from the jail.
• JDR court. Juvenile delinquency petitions, adult charges involving family or household members, and protective orders are heard on Lucy Corr Boulevard.
• Circuit Court. Six circuit judges sit in the 12th Circuit, and they hear felony arraignments, motions, jury and bench trials, sentencings and misdemeanor appeals for Chesterfield County. The same circuit also hears Colonial Heights felony cases, but those come up through the Colonial Heights district courts.

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3. What happens after an arrest in Chesterfield County (magistrate, bail and pretrial services)

Most people arrested in the county are driven to the Chesterfield Courthouse complex, where the arresting officer brings them before a magistrate in the 12th District office on Mimms Loop. After hearing the officer describe what happened, the magistrate rules on probable cause and, if it exists, issues the warrant or summons that serves as the formal charge. The same magistrate then decides whether the person can be released and on what terms.

Release decisions

Virginia magistrates weigh two questions: whether the person is likely to come back to court, and whether release would put the public or an alleged victim at risk. The possible outcomes are:

• release on a recognizance, a written promise to appear with no money involved;
• an unsecured bond, which sets a dollar amount that is owed only if the person fails to appear;
• a secured bond, which must be posted in cash or property or through a licensed bail bondsman, who generally charges a nonrefundable fee and must hold a license from the state Department of Criminal Justice Services;
• being held without bail when no conditions would be enough.

Release can come with conditions such as no contact with the complaining witness, staying away from a home, no alcohol, or supervision by pretrial services.

Pretrial services

Chesterfield/Colonial Heights Community Corrections Services, on Krause Road, runs the local pretrial program. Its staff interview newly arrested people, check employment, family and criminal history, and give the judge a recommendation for the first court appearance. When a judge orders pretrial supervision, the agency monitors the person through check-ins, drug and alcohol testing, alcohol monitoring or GPS. Its main number is (804) 318-8220.

The first court appearance

A person who stays in custody is usually brought to the General District Court's in-custody arraignment (or to the JDR court in family and juvenile cases) on the next day the court sits. The judge explains the charge, asks whether the defendant will hire a lawyer or needs one appointed, and sets the next date. Someone who cannot meet the magistrate's terms can ask the judge for a bond hearing; the General District Court clerk explains how to schedule one, and a decision there can be appealed to the Circuit Court. For information on whether a bond has been posted, the jail's release line is (804) 318-8026.

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4. The Chesterfield County Jail and the regional jail

The Chesterfield County Jail is a local jail operated by the elected Sheriff at 6900 Mimms Drive, inside the courthouse complex. Booking, fingerprinting and photographs happen there after the magistrate's decision, and people who are not released stay there for court dates in the adjoining buildings. The jail lobby is open weekdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Useful jail numbers

• Main line: (804) 748-1476
• Bond and release, and emergency family messages: (804) 318-8026
• Property drop-off and court clothing: (804) 318-8422
• Canteen: (804) 748-1488
• Jail administration: (804) 751-4633

Riverside Regional Jail

Chesterfield is one of seven members of the regional jail authority that owns the Riverside Regional Jail, and the Sheriff sits on the authority's board. The facility at 500 Folar Trail in North Prince George, (804) 524-6600, has at times held several hundred Chesterfield inmates. In 2021 the Sheriff began moving many Chesterfield inmates out of Riverside, and the number housed there has changed over time. Someone serving a sentence, or a person with a pending state-prison transfer, is more likely to be at Riverside than someone recently arrested. When in doubt, call the Chesterfield jail first; staff can say whether a person has been moved.

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5. Public defender and court-appointed lawyers in Chesterfield County

Chesterfield County has its own office of the Virginia Indigent Defense Commission. The Office of the Public Defender, Chesterfield, at 5601 Ironbridge Parkway, Suite 200, in Chester, (804) 662-7171, represents eligible adults and juveniles in the county's district and circuit courts.

How to get a lawyer appointed

1. Tell the magistrate after arrest, or the judge at the arraignment, that you cannot afford to hire an attorney.
2. Fill out the sworn financial statement the court provides; the clerk of the General District Court, (804) 748-1231, or the JDR court, (804) 748-1379, has the form.
3. The judge reviews income, assets and household size and, if you qualify, appoints the public defender.
4. If the public defender has a conflict (for example, it already represents a co-defendant), the judge appoints a private lawyer from the court's list of qualified attorneys instead.

A lawyer is appointed only when jail time is possible. A person who is convicted may later be charged the court-appointed attorney fee as part of court costs.

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6. The Commonwealth's Attorney and diversion in Chesterfield County

The Chesterfield County Commonwealth's Attorney is elected countywide and prosecutes felonies, many misdemeanors and juvenile cases in the Chesterfield courts. The office is at 9500 Courthouse Road, (804) 748-1221.

Victims and witnesses

Under Virginia's Crime Victim and Witness Rights Act, victims can ask to be told about court dates, plea agreements and release decisions, and they may give a victim impact statement before sentencing. The Victim/Witness Assistance Program, (804) 796-7087, explains the process, helps with protective orders and restitution, and accompanies victims to court.

Outcomes short of a conviction

• First-offender deferred dispositions. Virginia law lets a judge defer and later dismiss certain first-time charges, such as simple drug possession and family assault and battery, if the defendant completes conditions like probation, classes and good behavior.
• Deferred findings by agreement. In some misdemeanor cases, the prosecutor and the defense agree that the judge will hold off on a finding and dismiss the charge after community service, restitution or a class.
• Treatment courts. For people whose charges are tied to addiction, or who are veterans, the treatment dockets described in the next section can lead to a reduced or dismissed charge. The page on treatment courts tells defendants to contact the Commonwealth's Attorney's Office to ask for an evaluation.

Community Corrections Services also runs the Center of Risk Reduction, a court-ordered program for medium- and high-risk offenders, as well as local probation for misdemeanors and nonviolent felonies.

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7. Specialty dockets: Recovery Court and the Veteran Treatment Docket

Chesterfield's treatment courts are run from the Courts Building at 9500 Courthouse Road, and both can be reached at (804) 748-1734, weekdays by appointment.

• Recovery Court (the county's adult drug treatment court) is meant for adults with a substance use disorder who face a nonviolent felony. The charge itself does not have to be a drug offense, but people with a prior violent conviction or a drug distribution conviction are excluded. Participants are supervised closely for many months, with frequent court appearances, drug testing and treatment.
• Veteran Treatment Docket, which began as a pilot in December 2023, serves defendants who served in the military and received a discharge that was not punitive. It pairs court supervision with veterans' services and mentoring.

A person with a pending Chesterfield charge who wants to be considered for either program should raise it with a defense attorney and ask the Commonwealth's Attorney's Office for a screening; Community Corrections Services does the eligibility review. Participation is voluntary, usually requires a guilty plea or an agreed set of facts, and can last a year or more. Failing the program can lead to sentencing on the original charge.

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

Shoplifting at the county's large retail corridors along Midlothian Turnpike and Hull Street Road, DUI stops on Route 288 and the interstates, and domestic calls make up much of the Chesterfield misdemeanor caseload.

From arrest to the first hearing

After an arrest, the magistrate sets release terms, which for most misdemeanors means recognizance or an unsecured bond. A person who cannot be released goes to the Chesterfield County Jail and is arraigned the next court day. At arraignment the judge asks about counsel; a defendant facing possible jail who cannot afford a lawyer can ask for the public defender, (804) 662-7171.

Trial in General District Court

Misdemeanor trials in the General District Court are bench trials: a judge hears the officer, any witnesses and the defendant and decides the case the same day. Family assault cases follow the same pattern in the JDR court. Many cases resolve before trial through a plea, a reduction to a lesser charge, or a deferred disposition. A defendant who is convicted can note an appeal within 10 days and get a new trial in the Circuit Court, with the option of a jury.

Penalties for the listed charges

• Petit larceny (theft of goods valued under $1,000): Class 1 misdemeanor, punishable by up to 12 months in jail and a fine of up to $2,500.
• First DUI: Class 1 misdemeanor with a mandatory minimum $250 fine; a mandatory 5 days in jail if the blood alcohol content was 0.15 to 0.20, and 10 days if it was above 0.20; a one-year license revocation, with a restricted license and ignition interlock possible; enrollment in VASAP; and a 7-day administrative suspension of the license at the time of arrest.
• Assault and battery: Class 1 misdemeanor. Against a family or household member it is heard in the JDR court, a first offender may qualify for a deferred disposition, and a third family-assault conviction can be charged as a felony.
• Trespassing: Class 1 misdemeanor.

Lower classes carry less: a Class 2 misdemeanor up to 6 months and $1,000, a Class 3 a fine up to $500, and a Class 4 a fine up to $250. Typical outcomes are dismissal, a deferred disposition, a fine, a suspended sentence with local probation through Community Corrections, or jail time. Most Chesterfield misdemeanors are finished within one to three months, longer if the case is appealed. Down the road, some Chesterfield charges and convictions may qualify for sealing under Virginia's newer record-sealing statute.

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

Chesterfield felony cases are investigated mainly by the county police and prosecuted by the Commonwealth's Attorney in the 12th Judicial Circuit. Car break-ins and larcenies from retail stores, opioid and fentanyl cases, and residential burglaries are among the most common charges.

The path through the courts

1. Magistrate and bail. The magistrate issues the felony warrant and sets release terms; a person who is not released is booked into the Chesterfield County Jail. A judge can review the decision at a bond hearing, and that ruling can be appealed to the Circuit Court.
2. Arraignment and counsel. At the first General District Court appearance (JDR court if the alleged victim is a family member), the judge appoints the public defender or confirms that private counsel has been hired.
3. Preliminary hearing. The district court judge decides whether there is probable cause. When the judge finds probable cause, the charge is "certified" for the grand jury to consider; without that finding, the charge is dismissed, though the prosecutor may still seek an indictment. Prosecutors sometimes skip this hearing by going directly to the grand jury.
4. Grand jury and Circuit Court. After indictment the case moves to the Chesterfield Circuit Court for arraignment, motions and a trial date.
5. Plea or trial. Most felonies end in a plea agreement. At trial, a 12-person jury must reach a unanimous verdict, or the defendant can choose a judge trial. Since July 2021 the judge imposes the sentence unless the defendant asks for the jury to do so, and the judge considers Virginia's voluntary sentencing guidelines and a presentence report.

Ranges of punishment

• Grand larceny (stolen property worth at least $1,000): a prison term of 1 to 20 years, or a jail sentence of 12 months or less.
• Burglary: breaking into a dwelling at night is a Class 3 felony (5 to 20 years), and a Class 2 felony if the person was armed; most other forms of statutory burglary are punishable by as much as 20 years.
• Possession of a Schedule I or II drug (fentanyl, heroin and cocaine all fall in these schedules): a Class 5 felony, punishable by one to ten years in prison or by a jail term of up to a year; a first offender may qualify for a deferred disposition.
• Distribution or possession with intent to distribute: the range for a first offense runs from 5 to 40 years, and dealing in large quantities brings mandatory minimum sentences. Adults 21 and over may legally possess up to one ounce of marijuana, but selling it is still a crime.
• Malicious wounding: Class 3 felony (5 to 20 years); unlawful wounding, which requires no proof of malice, is a Class 6 felony with a range of one to five years or a jail term of up to a year.

Virginia's speedy-trial statute requires trial within 5 months of the probable-cause finding for a defendant held in custody, and within 9 months for one who is released, with exceptions for continuances. Felonies committed after January 1, 1995 carry no parole, though earned sentence credits can shorten time served. Sentences of more than 12 months are served in the Virginia Department of Corrections. A typical Chesterfield felony takes four months to a year from arrest to sentencing.

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

In a homicide, sexual assault or armed robbery case, the Chesterfield County Police Department's detectives usually make the arrest, and the Commonwealth's Attorney assigns an experienced prosecutor early. Magistrates and judges look closely at danger to the community in these cases, and a defendant is often held without bail or under a high secured bond at the Chesterfield County Jail while the case is pending. The 2021 change in Virginia law removed the old presumption against release for certain charges, but the seriousness of the accusation still weighs heavily.

Possible penalties

• Aggravated murder (Virginia's name, since 2021, for what used to be capital murder): Class 1 felony, life imprisonment. Virginia abolished the death penalty in 2021.
• First-degree murder: the Chesterfield Circuit Court sentences this Class 2 felony at 20 years to life. Second-degree murder: 5 to 40 years.
• Rape: 5 years to life; a conviction also requires registering as a sex offender.
• Robbery: 5 years to life, with added mandatory time when a firearm is used.
• Aggravated malicious wounding: also Class 2, so a Chesterfield conviction carries no less than 20 years and up to life.

What to expect

These cases usually take one to two years. Lab work, expert witnesses and mental-health evaluations add months, and defendants often waive the speedy-trial deadline. The public defender's office handles many serious felonies; for the most serious charges the court may appoint a lawyer who is specially qualified. Victims receive notice and support through the Commonwealth's Attorney's Victim/Witness Assistance Program, and they may address the court at sentencing.

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11. Juveniles (under 18) arrested in Chesterfield County

Young people accused of crimes in Chesterfield County go to the Chesterfield Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court at 7000 Lucy Corr Boulevard, (804) 748-1379. The 12th District Court Service Unit, in the same building, (804) 748-1372, provides intake and juvenile probation for Chesterfield and Colonial Heights.

Intake

When police bring a complaint against a child, a Court Service Unit intake officer reviews it and makes the first decision: file a formal petition, divert the case informally (for example, with an apology, restitution, counseling or community service), or, for serious charges or a risk of flight or harm, authorize detention. The Commonwealth's Attorney prosecutes petitions that go forward, and the public defender's office or an appointed lawyer represents the child.

Detention

A youth who is detained is taken to the Chesterfield Juvenile Detention Center, a secure facility at 9600 Krause Road, (804) 748-1460. A detention hearing before a JDR judge must be held within 72 hours, or on the next day the court sits if that period ends on a weekend or holiday; the judge decides whether the child can go home, possibly with electronic monitoring or other conditions.

Possible outcomes

• dismissal, informal diversion, or a deferred finding;
• probation supervised by the Court Service Unit, with conditions such as school attendance, curfews, counseling and restitution;
• local community programs, or a short post-dispositional stay in detention;
• commitment to the Department of Juvenile Justice, which may mean the Bon Air Juvenile Correctional Center, located in the Bon Air area of Chesterfield County, or a community placement.

Trial as an adult

A child 14 or older who is charged with certain serious felonies can be transferred to the Chesterfield Circuit Court after a transfer hearing in the JDR court. For the most serious charges, such as murder or aggravated malicious wounding, the Commonwealth's Attorney may be able to certify a 16- or 17-year-old for adult trial after a preliminary hearing. Juvenile court records are confidential in most cases, and families should ask the public defender or a private lawyer about how a record can be limited later.

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12. Federal cases (U.S. District Court) from Chesterfield County

For federal purposes, Chesterfield County belongs to the Richmond Division of the Eastern District of Virginia's U.S. District Court. A federal charge from the county is handled in downtown Richmond, roughly 15 miles north of the Chesterfield Courthouse, in the Spottswood W. Robinson III and Robert R. Merhige, Jr., Federal Courthouse.

• U.S. District Court Clerk, Richmond Division, 701 East Broad Street, Richmond, VA 23219, (804) 916-2220
• U.S. Attorney's Office, Richmond, 919 East Main Street, Suite 1900, Richmond, VA 23219, (804) 819-5400
• Office of the Federal Public Defender (Eastern District of Virginia), Richmond, 701 East Broad Street, Richmond, VA 23219; private lawyers on the Criminal Justice Act panel take cases the office cannot
• U.S. Probation and Pretrial Services, Richmond, 701 East Broad Street, Suite 1150, Richmond, VA 23219

When a Chesterfield case becomes federal

Federal prosecutors in Richmond often take cases that begin with Chesterfield police or regional task forces: drug trafficking along Interstate 95, possession of firearms by convicted felons, bank and commercial robberies, fraud and identity theft, and online child exploitation. Federal land also matters here. The Defense Supply Center Richmond sits in the county's northern end, a unit of Richmond National Battlefield Park is at Drewry's Bluff, and Fort Lee is just to the southeast in Prince George County; offenses on federal property can go to the federal court, and minor ones are heard on the Richmond Division's petty-offense docket before a magistrate judge.

How the federal process works

Someone arrested on a federal charge from Chesterfield first sees a U.S. magistrate judge in Richmond, who explains the charge and appoints counsel when the person cannot pay for one. Prosecutors who want the defendant held must ask for a detention hearing, which normally takes place within three court days. Federal court does not use money bail or commercial bondsmen the way state court does; under the Bail Reform Act the judge either releases the person on conditions supervised by Pretrial Services or orders detention. A case started by complaint must be indicted by a grand jury within 30 days, and the Speedy Trial Act generally requires trial within 70 days. The Eastern District is nicknamed the "rocket docket" for moving cases quickly, so defendants and families should expect a fast schedule.

Most defendants plead guilty. Those who go to trial face a 12-person jury that must agree unanimously. Before sentencing, a probation officer prepares a presentence report, and the judge considers the advisory federal Sentencing Guidelines along with any mandatory minimum. Federal parole was abolished, so prisoners generally serve about 85 percent of the sentence in the Bureau of Prisons, then a term of supervised release. Appeals go to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, which also sits in Richmond.

Looking up someone in federal custody

Families can check the Federal Bureau of Prisons inmate locator, which accepts either a name or a register number. Because the Marshals Service contracts with some local and regional jails, a federal defendant awaiting trial may also turn up on the roster of the jail holding them. Federal charges against juveniles are rare, and nearly all Chesterfield youth cases stay in the JDR court.

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