Howard E. Gwynn

Newport News Commonwealth's Attorney

Howard Gwynn was born and raised in the southeast community of Newport News. After graduating as the the valedictorian of Carver High School, then a segregated school, Howard went on to obtain an Ivy League education, with an undergraduate degree from Dartmouth University and a juris doctorate from the University of Michigan. In the summers, he rolled up his sleeves and worked alongside his father in the Newport News Shipyard. After a brief stint as a federal government attorney in Washington, D.C., Howard returned to his hometown to serve as an assistant prosecutor for eight years before his election as the Commonwealth’s Attorney in 1990.

 

Today, he leads an office of over 75 attorneys and staff who pursue justice for the people of Newport News. 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.

Our Services

Learn how our office serves Newport News
A witness reviews her subpoena from the Commonwealth's Attorney

Victims & Witnesses

If you have received a subpoena from our office, we're here to help.

pexels-sora-shimazaki-5669602

Pursuing Justice

Recent News on how we're making Newport News a safer place.

Contact Us

Review our contact information, location, or schedule a meeeting.

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.