Title 16.1, Title 16.1. Courts Not of Record

Unless the context should otherwise require, the terms set out in this section shall be construed as follows: (a) "Courts not of record" shall mean all courts in the Commonwealth below the jurisdictional level of the circuit courts including general district courts and juvenile a…

The number of general district court judges and juvenile and domestic relations district court judges, excluding substitute judges, shall be determined as follows: (a) Judges in office on January 1, 1973, shall be permitted to complete their terms pursuant to § 16.1-69.9; (b) [Re…

Judges of the district courts shall be designated as follows: (a) In each district there shall be one chief general district judge and one chief juvenile and domestic relations district judge who shall serve as such for a term of two years commencing July 1 of the even-numbered y…

If the chief judge of a district court is unable to perform the duties required by law, the chief judge shall notify the other judges of such district court, or if the chief judge is unable to notify the other judges, the judge longest in continuous service who is available shall…

(a) A general district court judge or juvenile and domestic relations district court judge elected as a full-time judge for a term commencing on or after July 1, 1980, shall be prohibited from engaging in the practice of law. (b) [Repealed.] (c) Substitute judges shall not appear…

The number of substitute judges shall be determined as follows: (a) Substitute judges in office on June 30, 1975, shall be permitted to complete their terms; (b) Subject to the expiration of such terms, the Committee on District Courts shall determine the number of substitute jud…

On and after July 1, 1973, every full-time judge and substitute judge of a district court shall be at the time of his appointment or election a person licensed to practice law in this Commonwealth.

A. Every judge or substitute judge of a district court shall, during his term of office, reside within the boundaries of the district in which he serves as set out in § 16.1-69.6; provided, that judges and substitute judges in office on January 1, 1977, or who are otherwise eligi…

Every judge, substitute judge, clerk, deputy clerk, and juvenile and domestic relations probation officer of a juvenile and domestic relations district court shall, before entering upon the duties of his office, take the oath required by law. The oath of the judge and substitute …

Any district court judge of this Commonwealth may qualify at any time after receiving his commission and before the expiration of thirty days after the commencement of his term of office; but if he fails to receive his commission until after the commencement of his term of office…

Before entering upon the performance of his duties every judge, substitute judge, clerk, deputy clerk or other officer or employee of a district court shall enter into bond before the clerk of a circuit court to which appeals from his court lie, except as hereinafter provided. Th…

No person shall at the same time hold the office of judge or substitute judge of a district court and the office of magistrate, clerk of a court, sheriff, treasurer, or commissioner of the revenue, or deputy of either of them. A full-time district court judge may not serve as a c…

In the event of the inability of the judge to perform the duties of his office or any of them by reason of sickness, absence, vacation, interest in the proceeding or parties before the court, or otherwise, such judge or a person acting on his behalf shall promptly notify the appr…

Any judge or substitute judge of a district court may be removed from office in the manner and for any of the causes prescribed in Chapter 9 (§ 17.1-900 et seq.) of Title 17.1; provided, that substitute judges may be removed from office under the provisions of §§ 24.2-230 through…

A. The Chief Justice of the Supreme Court may call upon any judge of a district court who is retired under the Judicial Retirement System (§ 51.1-300 et seq.) and who has been found qualified within the preceding three years by the House and Senate Committees for Courts of Justic…

If the judge or substitute judge of any district court: (1) Be a party to an action; (2) Be interested in the result of any action, otherwise than as resident or taxpayer of the city or county; (3) Be related to any party to the action as spouse, grandparent, parent, father-in-la…

A. A judge of a district court shall have the same powers and jurisdiction as a judge of a circuit court to punish summarily for contempt, but in no case shall the fine exceed $250 and imprisonment exceed 10 days for the same contempt. From any such fine or sentence, there shall …

Except as otherwise provided by general law, a judge of a district court may, within the scope of his general jurisdiction, issue warrants, summons, and subpoenas, including subpoenas duces tecum or other process, in civil, traffic and criminal cases, to be returned before his co…

Upon request of either party, a judge of a district court may direct the filing of a written bill of particulars at any time before trial and within a period of time specified in the order so requiring. Motions for bills of particulars in criminal cases before general district co…

The judge of each district court having criminal jurisdiction shall be a conservator of the peace within the limits of the territory in which he serves; and if such court is a city court, the judge thereof shall, except as otherwise provided by general law, also be a conservator …

A judge of a district court may take affidavits and administer oaths and affirmations in all matters and proceedings, may issue all appropriate orders or writs, including orders appointing guardians ad litem in all proper cases, in aid of the jurisdiction conferred upon him, and …

A judge of a district court shall have and may exercise, concurrently with special justices appointed for the purpose, the jurisdiction conferred by general law upon justices, and special justices in all matters in connection with the adjudication and commitment of incapacitated …

Where any river, watercourse or bay lies between any counties or any cities, or any county and city in this Commonwealth, the district courts therein, on each side, respectively, shall have concurrent territorial jurisdiction over so much thereof as shall be opposite to such coun…

In any case in which a defendant is found not guilty of any offense after a trial in a general district court at which evidence of the defendant's mental condition at the time of the alleged offense was introduced in accordance with § 19.2-271.6, the court shall make available to…

On and after July 1, 1973, the Commonwealth shall be divided into districts encompassing all counties and cities in the Commonwealth to provide a basis for the sound and efficient administration of the courts not of record, as follows: (1) The City of Chesapeake shall constitute …

For the several judicial districts there shall be full-time general district court judges and juvenile and domestic relations district court judges, the maximum number as hereinafter set forth, who shall during their service reside within their respective districts, except as pro…

On and after July 1, 1973, in every county and city there shall be one court which shall be called the "________________ (Name of County or City) General District Court" and one court which shall be called the "________________ (Name of County or City) Juvenile and Domestic Relat…

A. On and after July 1, 1973, there shall be established in the City of Galax, one general district court and one juvenile and domestic relations district court and for each such court there shall be one or more judges who shall be appointed and serve in accordance with Chapter 4…

The present system of courts not of record is continued as follows on and after July 1, 1973: (a) The county court in each county shall continue as the general district court of such county with the same powers and with territorial jurisdiction over such county and over any city …

Every judge or justice and every associate, assistant and substitute judge or justice of a court not of record in office January 1, 1973, shall continue in office as a judge or substitute judge of such court under its designation as a general district court or juvenile and domest…

A. Substitute judges shall be appointed by the chief judge of the circuit court having jurisdiction within the district for a term of six years. B. Each substitute judge shall be appointed to serve every general district court and every juvenile and domestic relations district co…

Whenever a vacancy occurs in the office of a full-time district court judge the successor shall be elected for a full term of six years and upon qualification shall enter at once upon the discharge of the duties of his office. But subject to the provisions of § 16.1-69.9:3, the j…

When a vacancy occurs in the office of any judge of any district, the vacancy shall not be filled until, after investigation, the Committee on District Courts certifies that the filling of the vacancy is necessary. The Committee shall publish notice of such certification in a pub…

Whenever a vacancy occurs or exists in the office of a full-time district judge while the General Assembly is in session, or whenever the term of a full-time judge of a district court will expire or the office will be vacated at a date certain between the adjournment of the Gener…

The district court system shall be within the unified court system of the Commonwealth subordinate to the Supreme Court and subject to the administrative supervision of the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.

The duties of the Judicial Council with respect to the district court system shall include those set forth in §§ 16.1-69.6 through 16.1-69.12, and such other duties as may be assigned to the Council by law.

The Supreme Court may formulate rules of practice and procedure for the general district courts and juvenile and domestic relations district courts following consultation with the Chairmen of the House and Senate Committees for Courts of Justice and the executive committee of the…

Except in case of court-appointed counsel, no rule of court shall be made or construed so as to preclude substitution of counsel in civil and criminal cases in the district courts, nor shall any order or appearance in person, be required, to relieve original counsel of his duties…

There is hereby established a Committee on District Courts to be composed of the Majority Leader of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of Delegates, the Chairman of the House Committee for Courts of Justice or his designee who shall be a member of the committee, the Chairman of…

The chief judge of each district shall have the following administrative duties and authority with respect to his district: 1. When any district court judge is under any disability or for any other cause is unable to hold court and the chief judge determines that assistance is ne…

The Albemarle General District Court and the Albemarle Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court may sit in the City of Charlottesville on property immediately across the street from the county courthouse.

The General District Court and the Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court for Carroll County shall sit at the Carroll County Courthouse in Hillsville.

A. An audio recording of proceedings in a district court may be made by a party or his counsel. However, the judge of a juvenile and domestic relations district court may impose any restriction as necessary to comply with the confidentiality requirements applicable to such distri…

The chief judges of the Twelfth Judicial District General District Court and the Twelfth Judicial District Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court may, in the interest of justice and by order, designate one or more of the courtrooms of the Colonial Heights General District…

A. As used in this section: "Portable electronic device" means (i) a personal laptop; (ii) a tablet; (iii) a mobile telephone, including a cell phone and any telephone with a camera, audio and video recording capabilities, and transmission capabilities; (iv) an electronic calenda…

All process, civil and criminal, returnable before a district court of a county shall, if the defendants or any of them reside in a city or town in which the court is held, be made returnable at the courtroom or place the court is held in such city or town, but if none of the def…