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Langford & Wray Criminal Defense · Richmond
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A defense attorney and her client talk as they walk down the stone steps of a columned courthouse

Calls answered 24 hours a day

Charged with a crime? Start with a steady defense.

We defend people charged with DUI, assault, drug, theft, domestic and juvenile offenses in Richmond and the counties around it. Your first case review is free, and your fee is written down before you decide.

Start a free case review (804) 555-0142

Start with the charge. We will take it from there.

Who is the case review for?

Arrested tonight? Six things to do now.

The first two days shape the rest of the case. This is general information, not advice for your situation. Call us for that.

  1. 01

    Stay quiet about the case

    Be polite. Give your name if asked. Say you want to speak with a lawyer before answering questions.

  2. 02

    Keep every paper

    Summons, bond papers, property receipts, breath-test printouts. Photograph them too.

  3. 03

    Write it down tonight

    What happened, in order, while you remember it. Keep it private and share it only with your lawyer.

  4. 04

    Find your court date

    It is usually on the summons or bond papers. Missing it can lead to a new charge.

  5. 05

    Stay off social media

    Do not post about the arrest, the people involved, or how you feel about it.

  6. 06

    Follow every condition

    If there is a no-contact order, follow it exactly, even if the other person reaches out.

Practice areas

All practice areas
  • A police officer speaks with a young driver beside a patrol car during a late-night traffic stop

    Impaired driving (DUI/DWI)

    First offense, repeat offense, a breath-test refusal, or a commercial license on the line. We look hard at the stop, the tests and the paperwork.

    Flat fees from $2,500

  • A defense attorney gestures while explaining options across a desk with a notepad and brass scales

    Assault and battery

    Fights that went too far, arguments, self-defense claims. We start with what actually happened, not just the first police report.

    Flat fees from $2,000

  • Two people at a dark desk review evidence photographs laid out in a case folder

    Drug charges

    Possession, possession with intent, prescription cases. Many drug cases turn on one question: was the search legal?

    Flat fees from $2,000

  • A uniformed officer rests his hand on a holstered handgun at his belt

    Gun and weapons charges

    Carrying without a permit, a gun found in a car, possession after a felony. Many gun cases turn on the stop and the search.

    Flat fees from $2,500

  • A man in a suit reads a printed document closely at his desk beside an open laptop

    Theft and fraud

    Shoplifting, embezzlement, credit card and check cases. Record-heavy cases need a lawyer who reads every page.

    Flat fees from $1,800

  • An attorney rests a reassuring hand on a client's clasped hands across a desk with case papers

    Domestic charges

    Assault against a family or household member, protective orders and no-contact conditions. Careful work for a hard moment at home.

    Flat fees from $2,500

  • An open file drawer of folders with red tabs marked confidential

    Sex offense charges

    Accused, under investigation, or already charged. Private help from the first call, with the registry question in view from day one.

    Flat fees from $3,500

  • A teenage boy sits beside a calm adult in a courtroom, both looking down at papers

    Youth and juvenile matters

    When a teenager is charged, the court works differently, and so do we. Clear talk for parents, and a lawyer who speaks to your child with respect.

    Flat fees from $2,000

  • A lawyer's hand rests on the arm of a client in an orange jail uniform at a courtroom table

    Bail and bond hearings

    If someone you love is being held, the first goal is getting them home. We ask the court to set or lower bond, often within days.

    Flat fees from $1,000

  • An officer in a dark vest sits at a desk by a window, pen over an open notebook

    Probation violations

    A missed check-in, a failed drug test, or a new arrest while on probation. A violation hearing is not a trial, so the plan has to be different.

    Flat fees from $1,500

  • A smiling hiring manager with a folder talks with an older job applicant across a bright office table

    Expungement and record sealing

    An old charge still showing up on background checks? Virginia allows some records to be expunged or sealed. We check whether yours may qualify.

    Flat fees from $1,000

  • Looking up at tall stone columns of a courthouse against a bright cloudy sky

    Appeals referral

    We do not handle appeals ourselves. We review your outcome for free and refer you to appellate lawyers we trust.

    Free review and referral

What we can promise, and what we can't.

No honest lawyer can promise how your case will end. Here is what we promise every client, in writing, from the first call.

  • We answer, day or night

    Arrests do not wait for office hours. Our intake line is answered around the clock, and an attorney on call returns urgent calls, usually within the hour.

  • Plain talk about the odds

    We tell you what could happen, what we plan to do, and what it will cost. We never promise a result. No honest lawyer can.

  • Ready for trial, every time

    Most cases end before trial. We prepare each one as if it will not, because that preparation is what gives you options.

  • One flat fee, in writing

    You get a written flat fee after your free case review. It does not grow by the hour, and payment plans are standard.

An empty judge's bench and leather chair in a wood-paneled courtroom with a flag beside it

How a case moves, and what we do at each step

  1. 1. Arrest and booking · Day 0
  2. 2. Bond hearing, if needed · Usually within days
  3. 3. First court date · Weeks after the arrest
  4. 4. Evidence and investigation · Weeks to months
  5. 5. Motions and negotiation · Before trial
See the whole process

Example outcomes

Including one that was not a win, because honest examples help you plan.

More examples
  • Example outcome Impaired driving

    First-offense DUI

    The situation. Breath result just over the legal limit. Field tests given on a sloped shoulder in the rain.

    Our work. We got the dash camera video and the breath machine records, then challenged how the field tests were given.

    Reduced to reckless driving

  • Example outcome Assault

    Assault and battery

    The situation. Our client stepped in to stop a fight at a restaurant and was the one arrested.

    Our work. We found two witnesses and a guest's phone video that police had not collected.

    Dismissed before trial

  • Example outcome Impaired driving

    Second-offense DUI

    The situation. A strong case for the state, with clear video and a high breath result.

    Our work. We were honest that trial was risky. We focused on the sentence and getting him back to work.

    Convicted, with the lowest sentence available and a restricted license

These are example outcomes written for this demo website. They are not real cases. Every case depends on its own facts, and a past result does not guarantee or predict a similar result in any future case.

Your attorneys

A former public defender, a former prosecutor, and two associates who know the local courts. Four lawyers, one team on every case.

Meet the team
  • Eleanor Langford, a smiling attorney with silver hair and dark glasses, seated in the firm's office

    Eleanor Langford

    Founding partner · Licensed since 2004

    Assault · Domestic charges · Sex offense charges

  • Marcus Wray, an attorney in a navy suit and glasses, standing with his arms folded

    Marcus Wray

    Partner · Licensed since 2007

    Impaired driving (DUI/DWI) · Gun and weapons charges · Breath and blood tests

  • Daniela Ruiz, an attorney with long dark hair in a beige blazer, smiling at the camera

    Daniela Ruiz

    Associate attorney · Licensed since 2016

    Youth and juvenile matters · Bail and bond hearings · Probation violations

  • Arjun Mehta, a smiling attorney in a gray suit, standing with folded arms in a bright office

    Arjun Mehta

    Associate attorney · Licensed since 2019

    Theft and fraud · Drug charges · Expungement and record sealing

What clients say

4.9 / 5

Average from 140 Google reviews

Sample reviews written for this demo website. Reviews describe one client's experience and are not a promise of any outcome.

  • “I called at 1:30 in the morning from my sister's phone. A real person answered, and an attorney called me back before 8.”

    J.T. · Henrico · Impaired driving

  • “Our son was 16 and terrified. Ms. Ruiz talked to him like a person, not a case number.”

    A parent · Chesterfield · Youth matter

  • “The fee was written down on day one, and it never changed. That alone took a weight off.”

    D.K. · Hanover · Theft charge

Payment plans are standard

One flat fee, written down before you decide.

No hourly meter. After your free case review you get one number in writing, what it covers, and a monthly plan if you need one.

See typical fees
DUI / DWI First offense, flat fee
from $2,500
Assault Misdemeanor, flat fee
from $2,000
Drug charges Possession, flat fee
from $2,000
Bail hearings Flat fee for the hearing
from $1,000

Questions people ask first

All questions
Do you guarantee results?

No, and you should be careful with any lawyer who does. We promise to answer, to explain your options honestly, to prepare your case fully, and to put your fee in writing.

How much does a criminal defense lawyer cost?

Most of our cases are handled for one flat fee. A first-offense DUI usually falls between $2,500 and $5,000. Our fees page lists typical ranges for each kind of case, and payment plans are standard.

Do you answer at night and on weekends?

Yes. Our intake line is answered 24 hours a day. Urgent calls, like an arrest or a bond question, go to the attorney on call.

My court date is tomorrow. Can you still help?

Call us now. We can often appear with you or ask the court for more time so we can prepare. The sooner we know, the more we can do.

Answered 24 hours a day

Talk to a defense lawyer today.

Your first case review is free. Tell us what happened and when your court date is, and an attorney will call you back. If someone is in custody right now, call us instead.

Start a free case review Call (804) 555-0142
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