Virginia Criminal Attorney Sheryl Shane | Serving the Northern Counties of the Commonwealth of Virginia
Serving Fairfax County and Surrounding Areas
Virginia Criminal Attorney Sheryl Shane defends people charged with crimes in courthouses throughout Northern Virginia. She handles cases in the Circuit Courts, the General District Courts, and the Juvenile & Domestic Relations District Courts.
The Virginia Courts That Hear Criminal Cases
The Supreme Court of Virginia and the Court of Appeals
These appellate courts review cases after a conviction, along with certain matters raised before a case is final.
Circuit Courts
The Circuit Court is Virginia's court of record. Felony jury trials and bench trials are held here, along with misdemeanor charges that travel with a felony case. In a jury trial, jurors hear the evidence and decide guilt or innocence, while the judge rules on the law and the evidence. In a bench trial there is no jury, and the judge decides both the facts and the law.
The Circuit Court also hears misdemeanor appeals from the district courts. A misdemeanor is a less serious offense than a felony and carries up to 12 months in jail. A defendant convicted of a misdemeanor in district court can appeal and receive an entirely new trial in Circuit Court, heard from the beginning.
Felony pleas and sentencings also take place in Circuit Court. A plea is entered when a defendant accepts an agreement with the prosecution before the judge, who may accept or reject it. At sentencing, the judge imposes the punishment. Throughout, the judge controls the courtroom and rules on the questions raised by the prosecution, the defense, witnesses, and jurors, with the clerk and deputies assisting.
General District Courts
The General District Courts hear misdemeanor trials and felony preliminary hearings. Motions and discovery are more limited here than in Circuit Court. A motion is a request asking the court to rule on an issue. Discovery is the process of obtaining the prosecution's evidence for the defense to review, and in some situations the defense must share evidence in return. Discovery may include police reports, video and audio recordings, forensic reports, social media records such as Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat, phone records, GPS data, text messages, and witness statements.
After the evidence is reviewed, some cases are resolved with a dismissal or a reduced charge. Others move forward to the grand jury and the Circuit Court.
Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Courts
The Juvenile & Domestic Relations District Court hears crimes involving family and household members, as well as crimes committed by or against children. Like the General District Court, it holds misdemeanor trials and felony preliminary hearings. Cases may be resolved there or sent to the Circuit Court.
Courthouse Locations Where Sheryl Shane Practices
Sheryl Shane has practiced criminal defense for more than 31 years. From her office in the heart of Fairfax, directly across from the Fairfax County Courthouse, she has handled cases in the courthouses below since she began her criminal practice. If you are charged with a crime in any of these courts, call (703) 582-8119 or contact the office for a free consultation. Call as well if you believe you are under investigation or have been contacted by law enforcement.
Fairfax County
Fairfax County includes three incorporated towns: Clifton, Herndon, and Vienna. The City of Fairfax is an independent city in the middle of the county; it has its own General District Court, and its other criminal cases are heard in the Fairfax County courts. The City of Falls Church is also an independent city with its own courts, listed below.
Magisterial districts served: Braddock, Dranesville, Franconia, Hunter Mill, Mason, Mount Vernon, Providence, Springfield, and Sully.
Communities served include parts of Alexandria, Annandale, Burke, Centreville, Chantilly, Clifton, Dunn Loring, Fairfax, Fairfax Station, parts of Falls Church, Fort Belvoir, Great Falls, Herndon, Lorton, McLean, Oakton, Reston, Springfield, and Vienna.
Learn more about Sheryl Shane's criminal defense practice in Fairfax County.
Fairfax County Courthouses
Fairfax County Circuit, General District, and Juvenile & Domestic Relations District Courts: 4110 Chain Bridge Road, Fairfax, Virginia 22030
Fairfax City General District Court: 10455 Armstrong Street, Fairfax, Virginia 22030
Herndon General District Court: 765 Lynn Street, Herndon, Virginia 20170
Vienna General District Court: 127 Center Street South, Vienna, Virginia 22180
Inside the Fairfax County Courthouse
All three Fairfax County courts sit in one building, the Fairfax County Courthouse at 4110 Chain Bridge Road, part of the Fairfax County Judicial Center. Sheryl Shane's office is directly across the street, so she is in this courthouse nearly every day.
The jail and the magistrate. The Fairfax County Adult Detention Center, run by the Sheriff's Office, is in the same Judicial Center complex at 10520 Judicial Drive, Fairfax, Virginia 22030. The magistrate's office, where bail is first decided after an arrest and where citizens can seek criminal warrants, is at the Adult Detention Center. If a family member has been arrested, Sheryl Shane can speak with your loved one at the Adult Detention Center by phone through the jail's attorney line, so work on the case can begin right away. For current visiting information, families should check the Sheriff's Office website.
Fairfax County General District Court. The criminal clerk's office is in Room 204 of the courthouse. This court hears misdemeanor trials and felony preliminary hearings. Many people do not realize that DUI, reckless driving, driving on a suspended license, hit and run, and eluding are criminal charges heard in the court's Traffic Division. Unlike a speeding ticket, they can bring jail and a permanent criminal record, not just a fine. DMV points are a separate administrative action by DMV, added on top of whatever the judge orders. Learn more on the DUI & Driving Offenses page.
Postponing a General District Court case is not automatic. A misdemeanor continuance must be requested in advance, and when a private citizen swore out the warrant, that person's written consent may be required. In a felony case, the prosecutor must agree or the defense must file a motion. If a request is late or denied, the case goes forward that day, ready or not. Hiring a lawyer early lets your attorney handle the timing and deal with the prosecutor for you.
Fairfax County Juvenile & Domestic Relations District Court. This court hears assault and battery against a family or household member, protective order violations, and other domestic violence charges. Adults charged with an offense against a child also begin here under Virginia Code § 16.1-241(I), including many sex crime cases, and Fairfax J&DR hears sex offense cases on a dedicated docket. An adult who is held in jail first appears before the judge by video; an adult who has been released appears in person. If the judge denies bond, the decision can be appealed right away to the Circuit Court. If a judge rejects a plea agreement, the case moves to a different judge. Many cases end with conditions such as classes, counseling, or evaluations, and failing to complete them can lead to a new charge.
Juvenile cases in Fairfax begin with Juvenile Intake, run by Fairfax's own court services unit, which serves Fairfax County, the City of Fairfax, and the towns of Herndon, Vienna, and Clifton. Police, a parent, or another person can bring a complaint. The intake officer may send the child to a diversion program, file a petition for court, or order the child held at a shelter or at the Fairfax Juvenile Detention Center on Page Avenue. A child who is held gets a detention hearing quickly, and if the child is found delinquent, a probation officer prepares a report on the child and family before the judge decides the outcome. Parents who call a lawyer before the intake meeting, not after, give their child the best chance at an early resolution.
Fairfax County Circuit Court. The Circuit Court's Criminal Division clerk is in Suite 409 on the fourth floor. Fairfax Circuit Court, the 19th Judicial Circuit, serves Fairfax County and the City of Fairfax and describes itself as the largest trial court in Virginia. It hears felony trials, with or without a jury, and appeals of misdemeanor and traffic convictions from the district courts. After a felony is sent up from a district court, a grand jury decides whether to indict, and the case is then set for a plea or trial date at a proceeding called Term Day. A defendant with a lawyer usually does not need to attend Term Day, because the lawyer handles it. A person charged by direct indictment, where the case starts in Circuit Court without a preliminary hearing, must appear, and the court can issue a bench warrant for someone who does not. If you learn you have been indicted, call a lawyer immediately.
Your court date and time. Your hearing date, time, and courtroom are on your summons, warrant, or court notice, and you can check your case through the Virginia courts' online case information system. Court schedules change, so always confirm your date and time there rather than relying on any website, including this one. If the courthouse is closed for weather or an emergency on your court date, check the court's announcements and contact your attorney.
Prince William County
Sheryl Shane represents people charged with crimes in the City of Manassas, Woodbridge, Gainesville, Haymarket, Nokesville, Dale City, Quantico, Occoquan, Lake Ridge, Linton Hall, Triangle, Bull Run, Bristow, Leesylvania, Cherry Hill, Montclair, Sudley, Independence Hill, Buckhall, Potomac Mills, and Yorkshire.
Learn more about Sheryl Shane's criminal defense practice in Prince William County.
Prince William County Courthouse
Prince William Circuit, General District, and Juvenile & Domestic Relations District Courts: 9311 Lee Avenue, Manassas, Virginia 20110
Arlington County
Communities served include Ballston, Clarendon, Columbia Pike, Courthouse, Crystal City, Langston Boulevard, Pentagon City, Rosslyn, Shirlington, Williamsburg Village, Arlingwood, Colonial Village, Dominion Hills, and Brandon Village.
Learn more about Sheryl Shane's criminal defense practice in Arlington.
Arlington County Courthouse
Arlington County Circuit, General District, and Juvenile & Domestic Relations District Courts: 1425 North Courthouse Road, Arlington, Virginia 22201
City of Falls Church
Sheryl Shane handles criminal misdemeanor cases in the City of Falls Church. Felony cases from Falls Church are heard in the Arlington Circuit Court.
City of Falls Church Courthouse
Falls Church General District and Juvenile & Domestic Relations District Courts: 300 Park Avenue, Falls Church, Virginia 22046
City of Alexandria
Neighborhoods served include Old Town, Hunting Creek, King Street, the Waterfront, Arlandria-Chirilagua, Beauregard, Braddock Road, Eisenhower East, Carlyle, Eisenhower West, Seminary Hill, Fairlington, Bradlee, Van Dorn, North Ridge, Rosemont, Potomac West, Mount Vernon Avenue, Potomac Yard, Potomac Green, Strawberry Hill, Taylor Run, and Duke Street.
City of Alexandria Courthouse
Alexandria Circuit, General District, and Juvenile & Domestic Relations District Courts: 520 King Street, Alexandria, Virginia 22314
Loudoun County
Sheryl Shane serves the incorporated towns of Hamilton, Hillsboro, Leesburg, Lovettsville, Middleburg, Purcellville, and Round Hill, along with the communities of Ashburn, Sterling, Bluemont, Lucketts, and Waterford.
Learn more about Sheryl Shane's criminal defense practice in Loudoun County.
Loudoun County Courthouses
Loudoun Circuit Court and Juvenile & Domestic Relations District Court: 18 East Market Street, Leesburg, Virginia 20176
Loudoun General District Court: 2 Church Street NE, Leesburg, Virginia 20176
Stafford County
Communities served include Stafford, Falmouth, and Aquia Harbour.
Stafford County Courthouse
Stafford Circuit, General District, and Juvenile & Domestic Relations District Courts: 1300 Courthouse Road, Stafford, Virginia 22555
Culpeper County
Communities served include Amissville, Boston, Brandy Station, Culpeper, Elkwood, Jeffersonton, Lignum, Mitchells, Rapidan, Richardsville, Rixeyville, Stevensburg, and Viewtown.
Culpeper County Courthouse
Culpeper Circuit, General District, and Juvenile & Domestic Relations District Courts: 135 West Cameron Street, Culpeper, Virginia 22701
Fauquier County
Towns served: Remington, Warrenton, and The Plains.
Villages served: Ada, Atoka, Bristersburg, Casanova, Catlett, Delaplane, Elk Run, Fauquier Springs, Goldvein, Halfway, Hume, Linden, Markham, Marshall, Midland, Morrisville, New Baltimore, Orlean, Paris, Rectortown, Somerville, Sumerduck, and Upperville.
Fauquier County Courthouses
Fauquier Circuit Court: 29 Ashby Street, Warrenton, Virginia 20186
Fauquier General District Court: 6 Court Street, Warrenton, Virginia 20186
Fauquier Juvenile & Domestic Relations District Court: 14 Main Street, Warrenton, Virginia 20186
Frederick County and the City of Winchester
Communities served include Brucetown, Clear Brook, Cross Junction, Gore, Middletown, Star Tannery, Stephens City, Stephenson, and Winchester.
Frederick County and Winchester Courthouse
Frederick County and Winchester Circuit, General District, and Juvenile & Domestic Relations District Courts: 5 North Kent Street, Winchester, Virginia 22601
City of Fredericksburg
Neighborhoods served include Downtown Fredericksburg, College Heights, Riverbend, Lee's Hill, Chatham Heights, Altoona, Alum Springs Estates, Amelia Square, Braehead Woods, Canterbury, Cobblestone, Kenmore, Dillard, Embrey, and College Terrace.
City of Fredericksburg Courthouses
Fredericksburg Circuit and General District Courts: 701 Princess Anne Street, Fredericksburg, Virginia 22401
Fredericksburg Juvenile & Domestic Relations District Court: 615 Princess Anne Street, Fredericksburg, Virginia 22401
Warren County
Communities served include Bentonville, Front Royal, and Linden.
Warren County Courthouse
Warren Circuit, General District, and Juvenile & Domestic Relations District Courts: 1 East Main Street, Front Royal, Virginia 22630
Caroline County
Communities served include Bowling Green, Corbin, Ladysmith, Milford, Port Royal, Rappahannock Academy, Ruther Glen, Sparta, and Woodford.
Caroline County Courthouses
Caroline County Circuit Court: 112 Courthouse Lane, Suite A, Bowling Green, Virginia 22427
Caroline County General District Court: 111 Ennis Street, Bowling Green, Virginia 22427
Why Hire Criminal Defense Attorney Sheryl Shane?
For decades, Sheryl Shane has defended clients across Northern Virginia. Her experience includes, but is not limited to:
- Assault & battery and domestic violence
- Serious violent felonies, including strangulation and suffocation, malicious and unlawful wounding, maiming, robbery, burglary, and abduction
- Homicide, including murder and manslaughter
- Sex crimes, including aggravated sexual battery, child pornography, indecent liberties, rape, and carnal knowledge
- Computer crimes, including use of communication systems to facilitate certain offenses involving children
- Theft, embezzlement, and unauthorized use
- Fraud and forgery
- DUI, DWI, refusal, and driving on a suspended or revoked license
- Other driving offenses, including hit and run, eluding, reckless driving, and
