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Bill Fletcher wants his day in court: Driving-related charges head toward jury trial

by | Oct 23, 2025

Close up on the scales of justice on a small bronze statue over a blue background with copy space conceptual of law and order
(Courtesy/Adobe Stock)

A jury trial was set for January for three traffic charges against attorney James William “Bill” Fletcher III in Rappahannock County Circuit Court last Thursday after a last-minute decision by Fletcher to not take a plea deal. 

“My client has made it known he’s innocent and wants his day in court,” Fletcher’s attorney Whitson Robinson told Judge Grace Carroll, after discussions with his client and special prosecutor Daniel White of Greene County.

Fletcher, 73, who lives in Woodville, was found not guilty of driving while intoxicated and reckless driving at a February District Court trial — charges tied to a traffic stop in June 2024 at a Blue Rock polo match which resulted in Fletcher’s arrest in front of about 100 onlookers. He was, however, found guilty of refusing to submit to a blood/breath alcohol test — a conviction he is appealing to Circuit Court. 

In an uncommon judicial move, his appeal will be accompanied at trial by his two reckless driving charges, which stem from separate traffic stops around the Christmas holiday last year. The same judge and jury will rule on all three charges.

White told the judge he “thought this was a plea day,” but after discussions that morning, he was informed Fletcher would like the charges brought in front of a jury. 

“If someone wants a jury trial, they should have a jury trial,” White added. He said the prosecution had no objection to the request.  

The trial will take place Jan. 27.

Charges not prosecuted in Bill Fletcher’s home break in

The prosecution decided not to pursue charges against three people accused of breaking into  Fletcher’s home in August after they were allegedly caught in the act by Fletcher’s son, Jamie. 

According to Rappahannock District Court records, Virginia State Police officers were dispatched to 80 Fletchers Mill Road on the morning of Aug. 13 after receiving a report of breaking and entering between 6:30-7 a.m. Two suspects — Randy Crews, 56, and Jennifer Austin, 42, both from Richmond — were arrested on the scene. 

Later, charges were brought against a third person, Aleah Alban, also from Richmond. 

According to a criminal complaint, the Fletchers told responding officers that the intruders were caught “sneaking through the house” early in the morning while they were sleeping. Items and money were also taken from a vehicle parked outside the home. 

Special prosecutor Christopher Dorsey, an assistant commonwealth’s attorney of Henrico County, declined to comment on why none of the charges were prosecuted. 

Author

  • Ireland Hayes

    Ireland joined Foothills Forum as a full-time reporter in 2023 after graduating from the University of Georgia’s Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication with a degree in journalism and minor in music. As a student, she gained valuable experience in reporter and editor positions at The Red & Black, an award-winning student newspaper, and contributed to Grady Newsource and the Athens Banner-Herald. She spent three years as an editorial assistant at Georgia Magazine, UGA’s quarterly alumni publication, and interned with The Bitter Southerner.
    Growing up in a small town in Southeast Georgia, Ireland developed a deep appreciation for rural communities and the unique stories they have to tell. She completed undergraduate research on news deserts, ghost papers and the ways rural communities in Georgia are being forced to adapt to a lack of local news. This research further sparked her interest in a career contributing to the preservation of local and rural news.
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By Ireland Hayes

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Ireland joined Foothills Forum as a full-time reporter in 2023 after graduating from the University of Georgia’s Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication with a degree in journalism and minor in music. As a student, she gained valuable experience in reporter and editor positions at The Red & Black, an award-winning student newspaper, and contributed to Grady Newsource and the Athens Banner-Herald. She spent three years as an editorial assistant at Georgia Magazine, UGA’s quarterly alumni publication, and interned with The Bitter Southerner. Growing up in a small town in Southeast Georgia, Ireland developed a deep appreciation for rural communities and the unique stories they have to tell. She completed undergraduate research on news deserts, ghost papers and the ways rural communities in Georgia are being forced to adapt to a lack of local news. This research further sparked her interest in a career contributing to the preservation of local and rural news.