Title 4 — Judiciary
22 chapters · 138 sections in this title.
4 V.I.C. § 382 Oath and bond
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The clerk of the Superior Court, before entering upon his duties, shall take the oath or affirmation prescribed by section 951 of Title 28 of the United States Code and shall give bond to the Territory in an amount fixed by the Judicial Council, and with sureties approved by the …
4 V.I.C. § 411 Appointment of probation officers
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There is established as a division within the Superior Court of the Virgin Islands subject to the powers of the Chief Justice, the Territorial Probation Office, which shall be headed by a Chief Probation Officer. The Presiding Judge of the Superior Court may appoint one or more q…
4 V.I.C. § 412 Duties of probation officers
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(a) A probation officer shall furnish to each probationer under his supervision a written statement of the conditions of probation and shall instruct him regarding the same. He shall keep informed concerning the conduct and condition of each probationer under his supervision and …
4 V.I.C. § 441 Admission to practice; discipline; rules and regulations [Repealed]
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4 V.I.C. § 441 Statutes current through Act 9046 of the 2025 session of the 36th Legislature, including all code changes through October 25, 2025 Virgin Islands Code AnnotatedCopyright © 2026 All rights reserved.
4 V.I.C. § 442 The Judicial Council Imprest Account
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(a) Notwithstanding any other law, the Judicial Council of the Virgin Islands (the “Judicial Council”) is authorized to establish a separate operating bank account to be known as the “Judicial Council Imprest Account”. The account shall consist of all eligible federal funds, all …
4 V.I.C. § 443 Unauthorized practice of law
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(a) Definition Except as otherwise provided by law or rule of the Supreme Court, and excepting court personnel acting in the performance of their court duties, the unauthorized practice of law shall be deemed to mean the doing of any act by a person who is not a member in good st…
4 V.I.C. § 471 Qualifications
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(1) Any citizen of the United States who has attained the age of 18 years and has resided within the Territory for six months or more is competent to serve as a juror unless:(1) He has been convicted in a state, territorial or federal court of record of a crime punishable by impr…
4 V.I.C. § 472 Exemptions
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(1) The following persons are exempt from jury service:(1) Members in active service of the armed forces of the United States.(2) Members of the fire and police departments of the Territory.(3) Attorneys at law, ministers of the gospel or priests of any religious denomination, an…
4 V.I.C. § 473 Exclusion or excuse from service
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(a) The judge of the district court for good cause may excuse or exclude from jury service any person called as a juror. (b) Any class or group of persons may, for the public interest, be excluded from the jury panel or excused from service as jurors by order of the judge of the …
4 V.I.C. § 474 Jury commissioners
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The judge of the district court shall appoint four jury commissioners for each judicial division of the Territory, who shall be residents of the division of good standing and who, with the clerk of the district court or his deputy, shall constitute the jury commission of the judi…
4 V.I.C. § 475 Orders for jury panel
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Prior to each session of the district court at which a new panel of jurors will be required the court shall issue an order to the jury commission of the proper judicial division directing it to draw such a panel of jurors, specifying in the order the number of jurors to be drawn …
4 V.I.C. § 476 Manner of drawing jurors
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The names of jurors shall be publicly drawn by the jury commission from a jury box containing the names of not less than 100 qualified persons at the time of each drawing. The jury box shall be filled and from time to time refilled by the jury commission. The jury commissioners a…
4 V.I.C. § 477 Jurors for Christiansted and Frederiksted
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Jurors for the sessions of the district court at Christiansted and Frederiksted shall be residents of the Christiansted and Frederiksted jurisdictions, respectively, of the judicial division of Saint Croix. The jury commission of the judicial division of Saint Croix shall maintai…
4 V.I.C. § 478 Summoning jurors
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When a panel of jurors has been drawn by the jury commission for service at a session of the district court the clerk shall issue summons directing each person so drawn to attend the court at the time and place designated and shall deliver them to the marshal for service.
4 V.I.C. § 479 Length of service
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Jurors summoned for service in the district court shall serve for such period of time and at such session or sessions of the court as the court may direct, but no juror shall be required to serve for a longer period than three months unless actually engaged as a trial juror in a …
4 V.I.C. § 480 Talesmen from citizens
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Whenever the panel of jurors has been exhausted at a session of the district court the court may order the jury commission to draw a supplemental panel of jurors in such number as may be specified in the order or may direct the marshal to summon a sufficient number of talesmen fr…
4 V.I.C. § 481 Trial jury
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Only one jury panel shall be summoned for the trial of both civil and criminal actions at each session of the district court. Trial juries in civil actions shall be constituted as provided in subtitle 1 of Title 5. Trial juries in criminal actions shall be constituted as provided…
4 V.I.C. § 482 Fees of jury commissioners and jurors
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The jury commissioners shall receive the compensation, and the jurors of the district court of the Virgin Islands shall receive the fees and travel and subsistence allowances now or hereafter fixed by sections 1864 and 1871 of Title 28 of the United States Code.
4 V.I.C. § 483 Protection of juror's employment
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(a) No employer shall discharge, threaten to discharge, intimidate, or coerce any permanent employee by reason of such employee's jury service, or the attendance or scheduled attendance in connection with such service, in any court of the Territory of the Virgin Islands provided …
4 V.I.C. § 511 Payment of fees
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Except as provided in section 512 of this title, all fees under this chapter shall be paid in advance. These fees do not include the stamp tax.
4 V.I.C. § 512 Security for payment of fees
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(a) Every officer, or other persons required to do or perform any act or service for any party to any action or proceeding, except a witness, shall be entitled to demand and receive from the party the compensation which the law allows therefor in advance; but a party to any actio…
4 V.I.C. § 513 Proceedings in forma pauperis
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(a) Any court in the Virgin Islands may authorize the commencement, prosecution, or defense of any action or proceeding, civil or criminal, or appeal therein, without prepayment of fees and costs, or security therefor, by a citizen of the United States who makes affidavit that he…
4 V.I.C. § 514 Fees not otherwise specified
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In all cases where fees are not specifically covered by this chapter, the Supreme Court shall fix the amount thereof by order or rule.
4 V.I.C. § 515 Repealed. May 9, 2011, No. 7260, § 1, Sess. L. 2011, p. 82
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4 V.I.C. § 515 Statutes current through Act 9046 of the 2025 session of the 36th Legislature, including all code changes through October 25, 2025 Virgin Islands Code AnnotatedCopyright © 2026 All rights reserved.
4 V.I.C. § 516 Fees of clerks of Superior Court
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(1)Filing complaints, Small Claims Division$50.00(2)Filing complaint, petition or application for damages not more than $2,5000, for appointment of guardian adoption mandate or injunctions; provided, however, that no filing fee shall be charged for a complaint of domestic violenc…
4 V.I.C. § 517 Fees of marshals of Superior Court
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(1)Service of any type of summons, citations, warrant, subpoena, etc.; except writ of attachment of execution, each; provided, however, there shall be no fees charged in an action for domestic violence$50.00(2)Endeavor on above, each25.00(3)Writs of attachment or execution, inclu…
4 V.I.C. § 518 Fees of appraisers
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Fees of appraisers shall be fixed by the district court in its discretion, at not less than $5.00 per day or fraction thereof.
4 V.I.C. § 519 Fees of notaries public
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Subject to the provisions of section 778 of Title 3, the following fees shall be charged by notaries public:(1)Protest on notes and bills of exchange, when the note is issued in an amount (A) Not over $500$3.50 (B) Over $500 and not over $1,5004.50 (C) Over $1,500 and not over $3…
4 V.I.C. § 520 Fees for oaths, affirmations, and acknowledgments
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(1) The fee of any person who takes an oath, affirmation or acknowledgment shall be $1.00, except that—(1) if such service is performed outside the office in the town limits, the fee shall be $1.50; and(2) if such service is performed outside the office in the country districts, …
4 V.I.C. § 521 Court costs, Superior Court
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(a) Superior Court costs of $75.00 shall be paid by each person found delinquent in the payment of a traffic or criminal fine or delinquent in the payment of a traffic lien, by each person convicted of a criminal offense and by each person receiving treatment pursuant to Title 5,…
4 V.I.C. § 551 Negotiation of contract for publication; court decisions to be included; headnotes
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The Governor of the Virgin Islands is authorized and directed to contract with a qualified law publisher for the editing and publication, in book and pamphlet form, of the past and future decisions of the District Court of the Virgin Islands, and of the past and future decisions …
4 V.I.C. § 552 Form, contents, and arrangement of volumes; designation; upkeep service
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(1) The volumes provided for in this chapter shall include all available judicial decisions rendered after the transfer of sovereignty over the Virgin Islands from Denmark to the United States. The volumes shall:(1) be bound in hard covers;(2) be designated the “Virgin Islands Re…
4 V.I.C. § 553 Quantity of volumes and pamphlets; sale prices
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The volumes and pamphlets published under this chapter shall be in such quantity, within appropriations therefor, and shall be sold to the public at such prices as determined by the Governor.
4 V.I.C. § 601 Attorney General and U.S. Attorney; issuance of subpoenas
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The Attorney General or an Assistant Attorney General designated in writing and the United States Attorney or an Assistant United States Attorney designated in writing shall have the authority to issue subpoenas, subscribed by them for witnesses, and/or for chattels, books, paper…
4 V.I.C. § 602 Form of subpoena; requirement in subpoena to produce chattels, books, etc
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(a) A subpoena must be substantially in the following form:“In the name of the Government of the Virgin Islands:“To: John Doe“You are hereby commanded to appear before Richard Roe, the Attorney General of the Virgin Islands (or the United States Attorney for the District of the V…
4 V.I.C. § 603 Service
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A subpoena may be served by the Virgin Islands marshal and probation officer of the Superior Court, if the subpoena issues from the Office of the Attorney General, or his deputy, or the Marshal of the District Court, if the subpoena issues from the Office of the United States Att…
4 V.I.C. § 651 Establishment of Commission
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The Supreme Court shall establish, by court rule, a Commission on Judicial Conduct, to address judicial discipline and the incapacity of a judicial officer of the Virgin Islands court system. The Commission may exercise all powers inherent to this function, including the power to…
4 V.I.C. § 652 Privileged communications and testimony; immunity of members; counsel and staff
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Communications to the Commission, the Commission Counsel, the Disciplinary Counsel, or their staffs relating to misconduct or incapacity, as well as testimony given in all proceedings before the Commission, are absolutely privileged and no civil lawsuit predicated thereupon may b…