In a city with a base, a research center and a university in it, a charge is read by people who decide things — a clearance adjudicator, a dean, a commissioning board, an employer running an annual check. That is usually the real stake and rarely the one discussed at the roadside. Decker Law defends misdemeanors and felonies in Hampton’s Eighth Circuit courts. Call 757-622-3317 — free and confidential, any hour.
A CHARGE IS AN ACCUSATION, NOT A VERDICT
Most people who call this firm about a charge have never been arrested and a good number begin by apologizing. They are braced for a lecture and they do not get one. We have represented more than forty-one thousand people on criminal matters since 1995. Whatever happened, it is not new here, and it will not change how you are spoken to.
What is worth establishing quickly is what the charge threatens outside the courtroom, because in Hampton that is frequently something with a form attached to it. A clearance adjudication. An enrollment or a financial aid review. A commissioning board. An employer who runs checks every January. Those processes do not wait for a court date and they do not weigh a charge the way a judge does, which is exactly why the disposition matters more than the argument.
The reason we can usually read that early is that two of our attorneys worked the other side of it. George Neskis spent four years as an Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney; Cole Roberts began as a public defender, the heaviest caseload anybody in a courthouse carries. Between them they watched cases get charged, screened and priced long before a defense lawyer saw the file, so a read on what the Commonwealth will do with yours is a read rather than a guess. That is a practical advantage, not a relational one.
WHAT WE BRING TO A HAMPTON FILE
What the form says afterward
A clearance adjudicator reads the disposition, not the transcript. We work backward from what gets reported rather than what gets argued.
A former public defender
Cole Roberts learned this under the heaviest caseload in the building, which is where you find out how a docket really behaves.
A record of trying cases
Prosecutors keep track of who tries cases and who never does. What gets offered tends to follow.
THE PART THAT CANNOT BE DONE LATER
A Hampton case moves through the General District Court and, where the charge is a felony, up to the Eighth Circuit Court by way of a preliminary hearing and a grand jury. Juvenile and domestic matters have their own court. Most people never need to know any of that until the week they do.
Timing matters more than sequence, and in a city where people move as often as they do here it matters twice over. The person who saw what happened may have orders by spring. The supervisor who could speak to your record may have rotated out. Discovery asked for now comes back as answers; asked for later it comes back as another court date. Very little about a file improves by sitting, and in Hampton some of it actively decays.
Which is why the call is worth making before the first hearing rather than after it. Nobody here will only tell you what you would like to hear about a charge. What you will get is the realistic range of outcomes, a straight answer on whether the clearance or the enrollment is genuinely in danger, and a list of what has to happen this week to protect the better end of it.
Joel Weintraub has been practicing law for over 40 years and focuses his practice on civil litigation involving disputes between individuals and corporations. Joel’s recent cases involve corporate litigation, personal injury, business law, will and trust contests and interpretation, shareholder rights, and estate administration.
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Cole Roberts
A Norfolk native and former Public Defender, Cole Roberts represents clients in criminal defense and traffic matters, from reckless driving and DUI to serious felonies. He has tried numerous jury cases across the seven Hampton Roads cities.
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Martin Thomas, Jr.
Martin Thomas, Jr. focuses on personal injury, criminal, and traffic law, along with contract law and civil litigation. He tries cases in the courts of Virginia Beach, Norfolk, Portsmouth, and Chesapeake, and serves on Norfolk City Council.
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Peter Decker, III
Peter Decker, III focuses his practice on criminal, traffic, and personal injury. He regularly practices in the General District, Juvenile and Domestic Relations, and Circuit Courts of Virginia Beach, Norfolk, Chesapeake, Portsmouth, Hampton, Suffolk and Newport News.
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Joseph Rigney
A Chesapeake native and former prosecutor, Joseph Rigney focuses on personal injury and criminal defense, including traffic law. He tries both civil and criminal cases in the courts of Norfolk, Portsmouth, Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, Suffolk, Hampton, and Newport News.
years defending these charges in Hampton Roads courts
HEAR FROM THE PEOPLE DECKER LAW HAS HELPED
Kim W.
I sustained a back injury due to an auto accident. A neighbor referred me to The Decker Law Firm, where I had the pleasure of working with Attorney Martin Thomas Jr. and his associates. Thomas Jr. and his associates were very professional, courteous and responsive to all of my questions, thoroughly explaining the process and providing regular updates on my case. The settlement was extremely close to the maximum allowed. I would certainly use The Decker Law Firm for any future legal services needed and highly recommend Decker Law to family, friends, co-workers, etc.
I was rear ended last year and was referred to Decker Law Firm by a coworker. My attorney that ended up representing me was Martin Thomas Jr and from our first meeting I knew I was in good hands. I had tried a law firm I’d used previously first and they wouldn’t take the case but Martin was confident that I indeed had a case and wanted to take it on. He was very straightforward and told me what he thought the case was worth and I decided to go with his representation. We ended up having to take the case to trial and I was so nervous but Martin went out of his way to answer my questions and put me at ease. Any time I sent him an email with questions, which was often, he always responded within a couple of hours even on the weekends. When we went to trial he was calm and confident in the courtroom and I couldn’t have been happier with the outcome. The judgment was in the monetary range Martin told me he thought the case was worth which proved again just how competent he is when it comes to his job. If I ever need a lawyer again Martin will be the first person I call. You can’t go wrong with this firm.
Look no further for your attorney!George Neskis represented us recently in a traffic incident. He and the staff at Decker were very responsive and easy to work with. My wife and I were extremely happy with not just the customer service – more importantly, he got us the outcome we hoped for from the case!
Cole Roberts gave me the best results I could ask for in my DUI case. He is an attorney that gets the job done! He did exactly what I would think every great lawyer should do and that’s do their best defend me to his fullest potential. I felt at ease because he provided me with high hopes and stayed on top of keeping me informed about the case the whole time. At the end of the day we got the win!
I was very pleased with this law firm! Martin Thomas Jr. And Martin Thomas represented me when I was injured in a car accident. Everyone was extremely professional and helpful. Martin Thomas Jr. really took the time to fully understand the impact of my injuries and expressed them perfectly to a jury. After all I had been through they got me what I deserved to be compensated. I felt like they were completely on my side throughout the process and when we went to court I felt prepared. I highly recommend them and will use them again in the future should I ever need to.
I had the pleasure of being represented by Cole Roberts and he soared above expectations! Facing multiple charges, some being felonies, I was uncertain of my future but Mr. Robert’s assured me thru the whole process that he wasn’t going to let these charges stick and he kept his word. I walked away from court with all charges dismissed! If you need a trustworthy attorney who will fight to the end for you, Cole Roberts and the decker law firm is where it’s at.
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