Brunswick General District Court sits in the Albertis S. Harrison Jr. Courthouse.

• 202 North Main Street, Lawrenceville, VA 23868
• Clerk’s office hours: Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

The date and time printed on your summons is what controls. Confirm with the clerk’s office before your court date rather than relying on any published schedule.

A note on the courthouse. Brunswick’s General District and Juvenile and Domestic Relations courts are combined and share a clerk’s office. The Circuit Court, which handles felony trials, jury trials, and appeals from General District Court, is a separate building at 216 North Main Street with its own clerk at (434) 848-2215. Both sit on the historic Courthouse Square, so check the street number before you park.

On continuances: the first two continuances are granted by the clerk, and any after that require the judge. Continuances are not granted on the day of court. You must request one at least a day in advance.

On the dress code: Brunswick publishes one and enforces it. Midriffs and backs covered, no tank tops, halter tops, muscle shirts, or one-shoulder tops, no shorts or mini skirts, shoes required, no exposed underwear, no obscene or vulgar wording or pictures, trousers worn at the waist, shirttails tucked in. Hats and headscarves are not permitted except for religious or medical reasons.

• Reckless driving
• Speeding tickets
• DUI/DWI
• Hit and run
• Eluding
• Suspended or revoked license
• No operator’s license

• Assault and battery
• Petty larceny
• Shoplifting
• Underage possession of alcohol
• Drunk in public
• Public intoxication

Yes. The firm represents both Virginia residents and out-of-state drivers cited, charged, or arrested in Brunswick County for traffic and criminal offenses.

Brunswick County sits on the Interstate 85 corridor running down to the North Carolina line, so a large share of the traffic docket here involves drivers who were passing through and have no easy way to come back.

Reckless driving is a Class 1 misdemeanor, not a ticket. Under Va. Code § 46.2-862, you are charged with it at 20 mph or more over the posted limit, or any speed in excess of 85 mph regardless of the limit. On I-85, that threshold arrives faster than most drivers expect.

On conviction:

• Up to 12 months in jail
• Fine up to $2,500
• 6 demerit points
• License suspension of 60 days to six months, at the court’s discretion under Va. Code § 46.2-393
• Lasting criminal record

Two different record clocks. Demerit points stay active for 2 years from the date of the offense. The conviction itself stays on your Virginia driving record for 11 years.

New as of July 1, 2026: on a reckless driving by speed conviction, the court may order enrollment in Virginia’s Intelligent Speed Assistance Program instead of suspending your license. That means a speed-limiting device on any vehicle you own or operate, at your expense, for 60 days to six months. Over 100 mph, the court must order it unless it suspends your license instead.

It depends on the charge.

For prepayable traffic infractions such as most speeding tickets, you may enter a written appearance and waive the court hearing under Va. Code § 19.2-254.1, and an attorney can handle the matter without you present.

Reckless driving is different. It cannot be prepaid and it requires a court appearance. Some Virginia courts will grant a waiver of appearance for out-of-state defendants, but that is at the judge’s discretion and cannot be promised in advance. DUI and other criminal misdemeanors generally require you to appear in person.

If you are driving through from out of state and cannot easily return to Lawrenceville, say so at the consultation. That is the fact that supports asking for a waiver, and it needs raising well before your court date.

No. Consultations are provided at no cost for traffic infractions and criminal charges in Brunswick County.

It is a real statutory option. Under Va. Code § 46.2-869, a court may reduce reckless driving to improper driving where the defendant’s culpability is slight based on the facts of the case. The difference is substantial:

A police officer cannot write a ticket for improper driving. It only happens as a reduction, through the court or by agreement. Whether it happens in any given case depends on the speed, the driving record, the conditions, and how the case is presented.

Speeding is a traffic infraction. A fine, demerit points, no jail, no criminal record.

Reckless driving is a Class 1 misdemeanor criminal charge with possible jail time up to 12 months, a fine up to $2,500, 6 demerit points, and a lasting criminal record that shows on background checks.

In Virginia, driving 20 mph or more over the limit, or in excess of 85 mph regardless of the limit, is not speeding at all. It is reckless driving from the moment of the stop. On a road posted at 70, that is the difference between 89 and 90 mph.

Results depend on the specific facts of each case. Prior outcomes do not guarantee or predict a similar result in any other matter.

• Office: 3437 W. Cary St., Richmond, VA 23221
• Phone: (804) 355-8037
• Email: info@weilandbutton.com

The firm serves Brunswick County and surrounding Virginia jurisdictions. Contact us today to schedule a free consultation for your Brunswick County case.