Virginia Courts Explained
How Virginia's courts are organized, who does what in them, and where a traffic case actually goes
A plain guide to how Virginia courts fit together: what a magistrate is, district vs. circuit court, who prosecutes a case, and what it costs.
Every page cites the Code of Virginia, links to the official text, and shows the date it was last checked. How these guides are researched.
How Virginia's Courts Work
The structure of a Virginia traffic case: what a magistrate can and cannot do, how general district and circuit court split the work, and who prosecutes.
- Virginia Circuit Court: What It Handles and How Appeals Work
Virginia circuit court handles felonies, larger civil cases, and appeals from general district court, with a jury available. Here is what that means for a case.
- Does a Commonwealth's Attorney Prosecute Your Traffic Ticket?
For an ordinary Virginia traffic ticket, no one is legally required to prosecute it. Here is what the Commonwealth's Attorney's statute actually assigns.
- What a Virginia Magistrate Can and Cannot Do
A Virginia magistrate is not a judge: no trial, no verdict, no sentence. State law lists seven powers a magistrate actually has, from warrants to bail.
- Circuit Court vs. General District Court: The Real Differences
Circuit court vs. general district court: district court hears traffic cases with no jury; circuit court hears felonies and appeals, jury included.
Finding Your Court
How Virginia courthouses and magistrate offices are organized by locality, and a worked example of a general district court traffic docket.
- How Virginia's Courthouses Are Organized, City by City
Virginia groups its courts into 32 districts, yet nearly every city and county runs its own courthouse — and yours is set by where the case happened.
- Brunswick County General District Court: How a Traffic Case Runs
Brunswick County's general district court hears its traffic cases like any Virginia GDC. Here is exactly how a routine traffic docket runs, step by step.
- How Virginia District Courts Handle a Traffic Case
Every Virginia traffic infraction and misdemeanor is heard in district court, with no jury. Here is exactly what that court can decide, and what it cannot.
- Where's the Magistrate's Office Near Me? How It Actually Works
Searching "magistrate's office near me"? Here is what a Virginia magistrate's office actually does, why people end up there, and how to find yours.
Court Costs and Payment
What Virginia court costs and fines actually are, how a traffic case can be paid, and when a case cannot simply be paid off.
- What a Virginia Court Payment Legally Means
A Virginia court payment on a traffic ticket is usually a guilty plea, not just a fee. Which charges qualify, what it costs, and what happens if you don't pay.
- Virginia's Court Fine and Cost Schedule Explained
"Virginia court schedule" means two things: when a court sits, and what a ticket costs. The Code sets both — here is who fixes each, and where to read it.