Howard E. Gwynn

Newport News Commonwealth's Attorney

Commonwealth’s Attorney Howard Gwynn began his career as an Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney in May of 1982. In November 1990, he was elected as the Newport News Commonwealth’s Attorney. Today, he leads an office of over 70 attorneys and staff who pursue justice for the people of Newport News.

Mr. Gwynn was the Valedictorian of his class at Carver High School in Newport News. He went on to graduate with honors from Dartmouth in 1974 and the University of Michigan law school in 1977, before returning to his hometown.

Mr. Gwynn recognizes that survivors of crime often live with trauma and pain from their experiences, and he champions programs and community outreach to ensure fair treatment for crime victims and their families. Under Mr. Gwynn’s leadership, our office also participates in alternatives to incarceration such as drug treatment court and the behavioral health docket. Learn more about those programs here.

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About Our Work

As the chief prosecuting agency in the city, the Newport News Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office protect the rights of victims, hold offenders accountable, and ensure the integrity of the criminal justice system. We firmly believe that justice should be accessible to all, and we work tirelessly to achieve that goal by prosecuting criminal cases with the highest level of professionalism, integrity, and impartiality.

Newport News Commonwealth’s Attorney
Phone: 757-926-7443
2501 Washington Avenue, 6th Floor
Newport News, VA 23607

Privacy and Accessibility

Virginia FOIA Information

The Newport News Commonwealth’s Attorney prosecutes criminal cases that occur within the City of Newport News, on behalf of the citizens of the Commonwealth. The elected Commonwealth’s Attorney is Mr. Howard E. Gwynn.