Welcome to S & R Law Firm
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Loudoun County and Leesburg Criminal Defense Lawyer
A criminal charge in Loudoun County can raise immediate questions about jail, your job and what will happen at the first hearing. Your summons or warrant identifies the charge, but it rarely explains what the Commonwealth must prove or what evidence could matter to your defense.
Our lawyers defend people facing misdemeanor and felony charges in Loudoun County, including DUI, reckless driving, drug offenses, theft and assault. We appear in the Leesburg courts almost every day. One attorney takes responsibility for your case, supported by the experience and insight of our four-lawyer team. We explain the evidence, discuss your options and help you prepare for the decisions ahead.
Who Writes Charges in Loudoun County
The Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office patrols the county around the clock. Its deputies bring cases to the Leesburg courts. Virginia State Police charge drivers on the highways, town police departments such as Leesburg’s handle their own towns, and the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority Police cover Dulles International Airport.
A charge written inside Leesburg or one of Loudoun’s other towns is heard in the same Loudoun courts as a county charge (§ 16.1-123.1). Dulles is the exception to watch: the airport sits partly in Loudoun and partly in Fairfax County, and a criminal case is generally tried where the offense happened (§ 19.2-244), so a stop at Dulles can land in either county’s court. If you live in another state, our guide for out-of-state drivers explains what a Virginia traffic charge means for a license from somewhere else.
Where Loudoun Cases Are Heard in Leesburg
Loudoun’s three trial courts share a courthouse complex in downtown Leesburg, but they are not all in one building. Since the new General District Courthouse opened in October 2023, traffic and misdemeanor cases have been heard at 2 Church Street NE. The Circuit Court and the Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court stayed in the courthouse at 18 East Market Street. Which court hears your case depends on the charge and on who is involved:
| Court | What it hears | Address | Clerk |
| Loudoun General District Court | Traffic and misdemeanor cases, decided by a judge without a jury; preliminary hearings for most adult felony charges | 2 Church Street NE, Leesburg, VA 20176 | (703) 777-0312 |
| Loudoun Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court | Juvenile cases, and adult cases in which the person charged and the alleged victim are family or household members | 18 East Market Street, Leesburg, VA 20176 | (703) 777-0300 |
| Loudoun Circuit Court | Felony trials, with a jury available, and appeals from both district courts | 18 East Market Street, Leesburg, VA 20176 (clerk’s office on the 3rd floor) | (703) 777-0270 |
- Felony charges: anyone arrested on a felony has the right to a preliminary hearing, where a judge decides whether there is “reasonable ground to believe” the person committed the crime (§ 19.2-218). The hearing can be waived only in writing. If the case goes forward, a grand jury considers it, and the trial takes place in Circuit Court.
- Family and household charges: when the person charged and the alleged victim are family or household members, the case starts in the Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court (§ 16.1-241). For a felony, that court only decides whether there is probable cause, and the trial is held in Circuit Court.
- Appeals: if you are convicted of a misdemeanor in either district court, you have ten days to appeal to Loudoun Circuit Court, and that is true even after a guilty plea (§ 16.1-132). The Circuit Court tries the case over again from the beginning, and you can ask for a jury (§ 16.1-136).
Charges We Defend in Loudoun County
- Reckless driving. Reckless driving is a Class 1 misdemeanor (§ 46.2-868), so a conviction is a criminal record, not just points, and the ticket can’t be prepaid (§ 16.1-69.40:1). Our Loudoun County and Leesburg reckless driving page explains where to go, what evidence matters and how to prepare.
- DUI. Even a first DUI conviction takes your license for a year and requires the alcohol safety program, and a high breath or blood result, or an earlier DUI within ten years, brings mandatory jail. Our Leesburg DUI page explains the penalties, the license suspension and what to expect in a Loudoun DUI case, and our Virginia DUI lawyer page covers the evidence we examine.
- Suspended license and other traffic charges. See driving on a suspended license, hit and run and traffic ticket defense.
- Drug charges. A possession or distribution case often comes down to whether the stop and the search were lawful and whether the Commonwealth can prove you knew about the drugs and controlled them. See drug possession and drug distribution.
- Theft and fraud. Taking property worth less than $1,000, not from a person, is petit larceny, a Class 1 misdemeanor (§ 18.2-96). It becomes grand larceny, a felony, when the property is worth $1,000 or more, when $5 or more is taken from a person, or when it is a firearm (§ 18.2-95). See petit larceny, grand larceny, embezzlement and false pretenses.
- Assault and domestic charges. A family assault charge often arrives with a protective order or a no-contact condition of bond. Obey it exactly, even if the other person reaches out to you, and talk with us before you discuss the case with anyone. See assault and battery.
- Felonies. A Loudoun felony case usually starts with a preliminary hearing in one of the district courts and is tried in Circuit Court. Our Virginia criminal defense page explains how Virginia grades felonies and misdemeanors.
How We Work on a Loudoun Case
The attorney leading your case starts by asking what the Commonwealth has to prove and what evidence it has for each part. For a speeding-based reckless charge, that means the radar or lidar readings and the calibration records. For a DUI, it means the reason for the stop, the field tests and the breath or blood results. In other cases it can mean body camera and dash camera video, witness statements, lab reports, search warrants and phone records. We also test whether the stop, the search, any questioning and the arrest followed the law.
Once we have the evidence, we go through it with you. Some cases should be tried. In others the evidence makes a reduced charge worth pursuing, or the real work is getting ready for sentencing. A driving course, counseling or treatment can help at sentencing, but it is a separate question from whether the Commonwealth can prove its case. You decide how to proceed, with a clear view of the facts.
Before Your Leesburg Court Date
Don’t pay a ticket or plead guilty online until you have talked with a lawyer. Paying a traffic infraction counts as a guilty plea (§ 19.2-254.1), and a reckless driving charge can’t be prepaid at all.
Check which building your summons names: traffic and misdemeanor cases go to 2 Church Street NE, and Circuit Court and family cases go to 18 East Market Street. Free parking for the courthouse complex is at the Pennington Garage, 210 Church Street NE, about three blocks away, with a free shuttle on weekdays. Bring your summons or warrant, your bond papers and any protective order. Write down what happened while you still remember it, save photos, videos and messages, and get a copy of your driving record if the charge is a traffic or DUI charge. Don’t talk about the case with the police, the other driver or anyone else involved, and don’t post about it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is the Loudoun County courthouse?
Loudoun’s courts are in one complex in downtown Leesburg, in two buildings. The General District Court, which hears traffic and misdemeanor cases, is at 2 Church Street NE. The Circuit Court and the Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court are at 18 East Market Street. Your summons or warrant tells you which court, what date and what time.
I was charged by Leesburg police. Which court hears my case?
The same Loudoun courts that hear county cases. The Loudoun General District Court’s jurisdiction covers the county and the towns inside it (§ 16.1-123.1), so a Leesburg, Purcellville or other town charge is heard in Leesburg alongside Sheriff’s Office and State Police cases.
Can I prepay a Loudoun County reckless driving ticket?
No. Reckless driving is a criminal misdemeanor, and Virginia law doesn’t let you prepay it (§ 16.1-69.40:1); it has to be resolved in court. If your ticket is a speeding infraction instead, paying it counts as a guilty plea, so talk with us before you pay.
Do I have to come to Leesburg for court?
Your summons sets a court date, so plan to be there unless we tell you otherwise. In some cases a lawyer can appear for the client, but that depends on the charge and the court, and we make that decision with you only after we have talked about your case. More serious charges generally require you to be there.
Can I appeal a conviction in Loudoun General District Court?
Yes. You have ten days from a misdemeanor conviction to appeal to Loudoun Circuit Court, even if you pleaded guilty (§ 16.1-132). The appeal is a new trial, and you can ask for a jury.
Can a Loudoun conviction be sealed?
Sometimes. Virginia’s record-sealing law took effect on July 1, 2026. A few misdemeanors, including petit larceny, are sealed automatically after seven years with no new criminal conviction (§ 19.2-392.6). Many others, reckless driving among them, can be sealed by petition after seven years, and eligible Class 5 and Class 6 felonies after ten, if the other conditions are met. A DUI and offenses against a family or household member can’t be sealed by petition (§ 19.2-392.12).
How much does a Loudoun criminal defense lawyer cost?
That depends on the charge and how much work the case needs. We tell you our fee before you decide to hire us. Court fines and costs are separate.
Talk With a Loudoun County Criminal Defense Attorney
Talk with us about the charge, your court date and the questions weighing on you. We can explain what needs attention now, what evidence we would examine and how we would approach your defense.
Call 703.273.6431 at any hour and you will speak with a real person. The consultation is free, and you can also contact us online.
Reviewed by attorney Ryan Rambudhan | Updated October 27, 2026