ATTORNEYS
Rebecca Peters, Esquire
Virginia Criminal Defense & Reckless Driving Attorney | Peters Law Firm, PLLC
There is a moment after a case is over when a client walks out the door and the rest of their life begins.
Rebecca Peters built Peters Law Firm around that moment, and around a genuine care for what comes next.
Her mission is to protect her clients’ freedom so they can pursue happiness and succeed – in their case and in the life that follows.
When your future is on the line, that kind of care makes all the difference.
“3 words: HIRE. THIS. ATTORNEY. Rebecca is an honest, awesome and tough attorney. My case was extremely complicated and Rebecca treated my case and me as a person with respect and professionalism. She worked diligently for me and my family and I am so grateful to her for WINNING my case. Rebecca gets it done.”
Richmond, Virginia Criminal Defense Attorney
Rebecca Peters has been building her case for this career since she was nine years old, watching the OJ Simpson trial and asking questions most kids weren’t asking. In high school she joined the mock trial team and never looked back, going on to compete and win awards at the collegiate and law school level. In college, alongside Division I synchronized swimming at the national level, she was working both as a legal assistant at a family law firm and as a paralegal at a securities litigation firm.
Somewhere in all of that, she discovered something that has stayed with her ever since: that the work of helping someone succeed, whether in competition or in a courtroom, takes preparation, creativity, and a genuine belief that a better outcome is possible.
She went on to the University of Richmond School of Law, where she clerked for a criminal defense firm and graduated with a deep commitment to trial work. She was inducted into the Order of Barristers for exceptional skill in trial and oral advocacy, and licensed to practice in both Virginia and Georgia.
That foundation shapes everything about how she practices today.
Rebecca knows exactly what is at stake when she takes a case. A criminal charge does not just threaten your freedom in the abstract. It threatens your record, your job, your education, your ability to drive, to vote, to be present for your kids. The consequences ripple out in ways people do not always anticipate.
For young clients especially, a charge that is handled wrong can follow them for decades, closing doors to schools, careers, and opportunities they have not even reached yet.
Rebecca does not take that lightly. There can be a real stigma in having a charge in the first place, and too often people encounter a system that treats defendants as guilty before anything has been proven. She rejects that. She is here to help good people do a little better. To liberate the innocent. To uphold the Constitution and the rights of every client who walks through her door. To help people find their path to redemption.
That is why she does this work: so that when the case is over, her clients can move forward and pursue the life they were building.
The American legal system was built on a simple premise: innocent until proven guilty. Rebecca holds that standard to account in every case she takes. She does the hard work of careful, evidence-based analysis, scrutinizing whether proper procedure was followed, challenging weak evidence, and never letting the prosecution coast.
Winning a case doesn’t look the same in every situation. Sometimes it requires mitigation – guiding a client through steps that position the court to consider a dismissal or reduction. Other times it means taking the case to trial and advocating with full force.
Rebecca and her team are ready for both, and every client has that full team at their disposal throughout the process.
Virginia Criminal Defense Results That Speak for Themselves
Protecting freedom is not abstract. Rebecca and her law firm have secured outcomes her clients describe as life-changing:
- A felony assault and battery on a police officer charge for a working professional whose one bad night threatened to derail everything is on track for dismissal.
- A father's protective order on appeal was overturned, allowing him to keep coaching his child's swim team and protecting his government contracting career.
- Multiple DUI clients facing mandatory jail time have had their charges reduced, with no jail time imposed.
- Juvenile clients have walked away with acquittals that gave them a real shot at the future they had planned.
Behind every one of those outcomes is a person who got their life back.
Outside of her practice, Rebecca is usually moving. She is an avid runner and stays active through pickleball and tennis. She also enjoys sailing in Connecticut. At home, she has recently embraced her favorite new role: mom to a new baby, with two opinionated cats rounding out the family.
Facing Criminal Charges in Virginia? Your Future Deserves a Real Advocate.
Rebecca Peters built this firm around a single mission: to help people pursue happiness by protecting their freedom. Her team operates with diligence, clear communication, and a constant drive to find better ways to serve each client. She shows up to every case prepared to tell each client’s story, the full picture, argued with the clarity, precision, and care that has defined everything she has done in every arena she has ever competed in.
When the case is over, she wants her clients walking out empowered to move forward, pursue happiness, and build the better future they deserve.
Education
- University of Richmond School of Law, J.D.
- University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), B.A.
Admissions
- Virginia State Bar
- Georgia State Bar
- Supreme Court of Virginia
- Court of Appeals of Virginia
- All Virginia Trial Courts
Honors & Awards
- Order of Barristers for exceptional skill in trial advocacy and oral advocacy
- Family Law Award, Family Law Section of the Virginia State Bar and the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers
- Best Attorney Award, Regional Mock Trial Competition
- Best Attorney Award, Southeast Regional Mock Trial Competition
- Mock Trial National Competition Semifinalist
Memberships
- Virginia State Bar
- Henrico Bar Association
- Richmond Bar Association
- Greater Richmond Criminal Bar Association
- Metro Richmond Women's Bar Association
- Criminal Law Section of the Virginia State Bar
Dontae L. Buck, Esquire
Dontae has a passion for serving others and for advocating for those who cannot advocate for themselves.
His knowledge, training, and experience have allowed him to develop the necessary skills to connect with individuals from many different walks of life, as well as to analyze complex legal cases. Dontae welcomes the opportunity to use his litigation skills and interpersonal skills to serve clients at the Peters Law Firm.
More About Dontae
Dontae has been admitted to the Supreme Court of Virginia, Court of Appeals of Virginia, and all Virginia Trial Courts.
Prior to joining Peters Law Firm, PLLC, Dontae served as Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney for the City of Richmond. He later became one of the first black Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorneys for Hanover County. During his time as an Assistant Commonwealth Attorney, Dontae worked in Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court, General District Court, and Circuit Court, handling everything from basic misdemeanors to complex felonies. He served as a Magistrate for the 12th Judicial District, allowing him to develop an extensive knowledge of the Virginia Criminal Code. Working as a prosecutor and magistrate has provided him with extensive experience that now aids him in zealously representing his clients. Since leaving prosecution, Dontae has focused his legal practice on helping individuals charged with criminal and traffic offenses.
Dontae is a 2020 graduate of the University of Richmond School of Law (UR Law). Prior to graduating from UR Law, Dontae attended Hampden-Sydney College (HSC) where he graduated in 2015 with a B.A. in Religion and minors in both Rhetoric and Public Service. While at HSC, Dontae interned for the criminal defense law firm of McPheeters (Bourland & McPheeters).
During his time at UR Law, Dontae served as the Chief Justice of the Honor Council and Vice President of the Criminal Law Society. He interned for the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia aiding defense counsel in a federal jury trial. He served as an intern for the Federal Public Defender’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia, where he represented individuals in a variety of misdemeanor and felony cases. Dontae also interned with the Public Defenders Services for the District of Columbia where he represented individuals in supervised release hearings before the United States Parole Commission.
MEMBERSHIPS & CERTIFICATIONS
- Virginia Indigent Defense Commission Certification for Court-Appointed Counsel
- Virginia State Bar
Gabrielle Sandoval, Esquire
Gabrielle is passionate about advocating for those navigating the legal and criminal systems. She is fluent in Spanish.
Gabrielle has been admitted to the Supreme Court of Virginia, Court of Appeals of Virginia, and all Virginia Trial Courts.
MORE ABOUT GABRIELLE
Prior to joining Peters Law Firm, PLLC, Gabrielle was a solo practitioner in the central Virginia area and served indigent clients in Richmond and Colonial Heights.
Her practice areas included landlord-tenant law and protective order defense, as well as misdemeanor defense in General District, Circuit, and Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court. Gabrielle also helps some long term post-conviction clients pro bono, demonstrating commitment to advocacy at all levels of the criminal legal system as well as areas of law contributing to a holistic defense practice.
Gabrielle graduated from the University of Richmond School of Law in 2023. While at Richmond Law, she defended clients in the Jeanette Lipman Children’s Defense Clinic, and in the Family Law Holistic Defense Clinic. She also worked with the Virginia Indigent Defense Commission and various central Virginia public defenders offices. Gabrielle graduated with her B.S. in Political Science and Sociology from the Florida State University in 2019. In her free time, Gabrielle makes art and volunteers with community food distribution organizations.
MEMBERSHIPS & ASSOCIATIONS
- Virginia State Bar
Why Peters Law
Whatever your case is, at Peters Law Firm we will be fighting for you and working with you. Our clients can expect transparency, a personal touch and diligence in all we do.
Transparent
There’s more than one way to handle a case. We’ll be clear about what your options are and give you our best recommendation based on your situation.
Personal
We take the time to get to know you. We believe that a good relationship between attorney and client is key to building a strong case.
Diligent
You’re more than just a number. When you need an advocate, we’ll fight for you. And we’ll make sure that you’re taken care of — through every step of the process.
Our Services
Peters Law Firm, PLLC, provides a wide range of legal services to help our clients. We provide representation for reckless driving, traffic, DUI, and criminal cases.