If you or a loved one have been accused of committing a criminal offense, the following is information you should know regarding the arrest and court process in Leesburg, Virginia. To learn more or discuss the specifics of your case, schedule a free consultation with a Leesburg criminal lawyer today.
When you are arrested you will typically be taken into custody, however both the arrest and being taken into custody can take several different forms.
As you have probably seen on TV, your hands may be put behind your back and handcuffs slapped on your wrists, or the officer may use another sign of force to demonstrate that an arrest has been made. At this point you will typically be transported to Loudoun County Adult Detention Center, located off Sycolin Road, across the street from the Leesburg Airport.
You also may be transferred to a police substation or to the Town of Leesburg Police Department on Plaza Street. After you have been transported to the appropriate location, you will typically be photographed, fingerprinted, and brought before the magistrate. The magistrate will hear the police outline the facts of your case and will then decide what warrants to issue for what criminal offenses and decide what bonds may be necessary, if any.
When you are arrested you will lose your liberty and you will be facing an impending charge for criminal offenses. Though you do not have to be charged after an arrest in Virginia, especially in the Town of Leesburg an arrest usually results in a criminal charge.
After the case is filed you can expect your case will proceed through the criminal judicial system in Loudoun County. Town of Leesburg cases run the same as all other Loudoun County cases. This means that your case will be heard in the Loudoun County Courthouse Complex located in 18 East Market Street in Leesburg, Virginia 20176.
The Loudoun County Commonwealth Attorney’s office prosecutes cases for the Town of Leesburg. There is not separate Leesburg prosecutor as in many other jurisdictions in the Commonwealth of Virginia.
In Leesburg, as in the rest of Loudoun County, certain crimes are prosecuted bit more vigorously than others. Typically crimes of violence, crimes of opportunity, especially involving children or minors, financial crimes and crimes of public safety such as assault, DUI, injuring public are prosecuted vigorously.
Leesburg courts take all criminal charges very seriously. However some cases are taken more seriously than others. These include repeat offenders, meaning people who have been to the court on similar charges previously, acts of violence, crimes against public interests, and crimes against the vulnerable parts of the population whether it be crimes against children or crimes against elderly.
An arraignment takes several forms depending on what type of criminal offense you are charged with. For example, if you are charged with a misdemeanor offense your arraignment will result in an advisement under certain circumstances which may not occur until several weeks or even months after the offense. It may be on your first court date in the district court also known as the first return. If you are charged with a felony, however, you will likely be placed on a special docket for arraignment at 11:15 in the Loudoun County General District Court.
This special docket advises you of what the charges are and the judge inquires whether or not you intend to hire your own attorney or seeks the court’s appointment of the public defender. If you are charged with a matter that involves a family member or a minor, your arraignment may be in the Loudoun County Juvenile & Domestic Relations District Court, JDR Court for short. This arraignment will typically occur at 8:30 in the morning on the assigned date.
Northern Virginia Criminal Defense Group
