The Henrico County Circuit Court System

How Henrico's Trial Courts Are Organized

Virginia gives each city and county a Circuit Court, and Henrico's is part of the 14th Judicial Circuit. The Circuit Court is the only trial court of record in the county, which means its proceedings are formally recorded and it can hold jury trials. The General District Court, in the 14th Judicial District, is a court not of record for traffic, misdemeanors, and lower-dollar civil matters. The J&DR court handles juvenile and family cases.

Cases generally move up, not sideways, when they are appealed.

Case flow: General District Court › Circuit Court › Court of Appeals of Virginia › Supreme Court of Virginia

Henrico County Circuit Court

The Circuit Court hears felonies, divorce and annulment, probate-related matters through the Clerk, and most civil cases above the lower-court limits. It also hears appeals from the General District and J&DR courts. The Clerk of the Circuit Court, Heidi S. Barshinger, keeps the circuit's civil, felony, land, and probate records. The chief judge is the Hon. Randall G. Johnson Jr., joined on the bench by judges Rondelle D. Herman, Linda Lambert, John Marshall, and Richard S. Wallerstein Jr.

The state court site is the official profile for the court.

The Virginia Circuit Court overview explains the court's jurisdiction over serious crimes, major civil suits, and family matters across the Commonwealth.

Circuit civil cases generally cover claims above $25,000, with shared authority between $4,500 and $25,000.

Henrico General District Court

The General District Court is where most residents meet the court system. It handles traffic violations, misdemeanors, felony preliminary hearings, small claims, garnishments, and landlord-tenant disputes. It has exclusive authority for civil claims of $4,500 or less and shared authority up to $25,000. The chief judge is the Hon. Bryan Craig Dunkum, with judges Lauren Ann Caudill, George Barton Chucker, Nicole L. Fox, and John K. Honey Jr. Clerk Carol Bowman Kennedy runs the court's records.

The state overview explains the court's broad role in everyday cases.

The Virginia General District Court overview describes its jurisdiction over traffic, misdemeanors, civil thresholds, and preliminary hearings.

A felony often begins here with a preliminary hearing before it is certified up to Circuit Court.

Henrico Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court

The J&DR court sits a short distance from the main Courts Building, at 4201 East Parham Road. It handles juvenile delinquency, custody, visitation, support, child welfare, protective orders, and family-related adult criminal matters. The chief judge is the Hon. Stacy E. Lee, with judges Nael A. Abouzaki, Margaret W. Deglau, Marissa D. Mitchell, and Stephen A. Mutnick. Erin C. Jacoby serves as clerk.

Most J&DR records are confidential, so public online access is far narrower than for traffic or adult criminal cases. The Henrico County court dockets page lists the J&DR schedule.

The Three Henrico Trial Courts at a Glance

The courts cluster on East Parham Road, but each has its own clerk, phone numbers, and address. The table below puts the contact details in one place.

Here is how the three trial courts compare on the work they do.

Searching Henrico Circuit and District Court Cases

Each court level has a matching online tool. The statewide OCIS 2.0 system pulls criminal and traffic case information across court levels. Circuit Court Case Information covers participating circuit cases, and General District Court Case Information covers Henrico's high-volume traffic and civil cases. Start with the court level, then pick the system.

The statewide system is the broadest entry point.

The Virginia OCIS statewide case search gives one interface for criminal and traffic case information across courts.

For circuit cases specifically, a dedicated case information system applies.

The Virginia circuit case information entry point is the public status system for participating circuit courts.

General District cases, including most traffic, use their own system with payment options.

The General District Court Case Information system supports name, case number, and hearing-date searches plus online payment for eligible cases.

For document copies, see the Henrico County court records page or contact the Circuit Court Clerk.

Appeals From General District to Circuit Court

Many cases that start in the General District Court can be appealed to the Circuit Court. A misdemeanor or traffic conviction, for example, may be appealed for a new trial in Circuit Court within the time the law allows. From the Circuit Court, an appeal may go to the Court of Appeals of Virginia or the Supreme Court of Virginia, depending on the case type.

Appeal deadlines are short and strict.

For the records side of appeals, the court records and court dockets pages explain how to track each step.

Civil Thresholds and What Each Court Hears

The dollar amount of a civil claim helps decide which Henrico court hears it. The General District Court has exclusive authority for claims of $4,500 or less. From $4,500 up to $25,000, the General District Court and the Circuit Court share authority. Claims above $25,000 belong in Circuit Court. For personal injury and wrongful death, shared authority runs higher, up to $50,000.

Small claims are a simpler track within General District Court for lower-dollar disputes without lawyers.

Picking the right court at filing avoids a transfer later. When the amount or the case type is unclear, the clerk can explain the filing options, though the clerk cannot give legal advice. The Henrico County court records page covers the search systems for each level.

Magistrates, Prosecutors, and Defense in Henrico

Several offices work alongside the trial courts. Magistrate Services handle the first steps in many cases, including issuing warrants, setting initial bail, and reviewing probable cause. In Virginia the county prosecutor is called the Commonwealth's Attorney, and Henrico's is Shannon L. Taylor. That office presents criminal cases in the Circuit, General District, and J&DR courts, and it runs a Victim and Witness Unit. People who cannot afford a lawyer may qualify for the Virginia Indigent Defense Commission or a court-appointed attorney.

These roles stay separate from records. Judges decide cases, clerks keep and copy the files, prosecutors represent the Commonwealth, and the Sheriff handles court security and jail custody.

For prosecution and arrest details, see the Henrico County arrest records page, and for jail custody, see the inmate records page.