Title 8.01, Civil Remedies and Procedure

But if service is made by publication, the defendant against whom the judgment is rendered may file a motion within thirty days from the rendition of judgment to have such judgment set aside, upon giving bond with good security as prescribed by the court, with condition to pay al…

The defendant against whom the writ was issued may plead, demur or answer the petition within the time set forth in the writ for his appearance.

Unless the defendant shall ask for a trial by jury, the court shall hear the same. If the case is tried by jury and the defendant is found guilty as to only a part of the charges, the verdict shall be guilty as to such part and shall particularly specify the same. As to the resid…

Except as provided in § 2.2-3713, application for a writ of mandamus or a writ of prohibition shall be on petition verified by oath, after the party against whom the writ is prayed has been served with a copy of the petition and notice of the intended application a reasonable tim…

A petition for extraordinary writ of mandamus, filed by or on behalf of a person confined in a state correctional facility, shall be brought within one year after the cause of action accrues.

The petition shall state plainly and concisely the grounds of the application, concluding with a prayer for the writ, and shall be presented to the court having jurisdiction, unless the application is to the Court of Appeals or the Supreme Court.

When the application is made, on proof of notice and service of the copy of the petition as aforesaid, if the defendant fails to appear, or appearing fails to make defense, and the petition states a proper case for the writ, a peremptory writ shall be awarded with costs.

The defendant may file a demurrer or answer on oath to the petition, or both. The court may permit amendments of the pleadings as in other cases.

The court shall award or deny the writ according to the law and facts of the case, with or without costs.

If the application is to the Court of Appeals or the Supreme Court, the procedure shall be in accordance with the provisions of Rules of Court.

On petition for a writ of prohibition, the court may, at any time before or after the application for the writ is made, make an order, a copy of which shall be served on the defendant, suspending the proceedings sought to be prohibited until the final decision of the cause.

Whenever a court having jurisdiction refuses to suspend proceedings as provided in § 8.01-650 of this chapter, a copy of the proceedings in court, with any orders entered in the proceedings, may be presented to a judge of the Court of Appeals, if an application for a writ of proh…

Service of a copy of the order awarding the writ shall be equivalent to service of the writ, and obedience to the writ or order may be enforced by process of contempt.

Whenever the Comptroller or the Treasurer of the Commonwealth shall notify the Attorney General, in writing, that they, or either of them, entertain such doubt respecting the proper construction or interpretation of any act of the General Assembly which appropriates or directs th…

Whenever the Comptroller notifies the Attorney General in writing that he entertains doubt respecting the constitutionality of any act of the General Assembly granting an agency of the Commonwealth or other governmental board or entity of the Commonwealth general powers to incur …

A. 1. A petition for a writ of habeas corpus ad subjiciendum may be filed in the Supreme Court or any circuit court showing by affidavits or other evidence that the petitioner is detained without lawful authority. 2. A petition for writ of habeas corpus ad subjiciendum, other tha…

A. Every petition filed by a prisoner seeking a writ of habeas corpus must be filed on the form set forth in subsection B. The failure to use such form and to comply substantially with such form shall entitle the court to which such petition is directed to return such petition to…

A. Except as may be provided in the Rules of Supreme Court of Virginia, no response to a petition for a writ of habeas corpus shall be required except upon an order of the court, directed to the person in whose custody the petitioner is detained or on the person having the immedi…

In the discretion of the court or judge before whom the petitioner is brought, the affidavits of witnesses taken by either party, on reasonable notice to the other, may be read as evidence.

All the material facts proved shall, when it is required by either party, be made a part of the proceedings and entered by the clerk among the records of the court.

After hearing the matter both upon the response and any other evidence, the court shall either discharge or remand the petitioner, grant him any other relief to which he is entitled, or admit him to bail and adjudge the cost of the proceeding, including the charge for transportin…

Any such judgment entered of record shall be conclusive, unless the same be reversed, except that the petitioner shall not be precluded from bringing the same matter in question in an action for false imprisonment.

If, during the recess of the Supreme Court, the Governor or the Chief Justice of the Court should think the immediate revision of any such judgment to be proper, he may summon the Court for that purpose, to meet on any day to be fixed by him.

When the prisoner is remanded, the execution of the judgment shall not be suspended by a petition for appeal or by a writ of error, or for the purpose of applying for such writ. When he is ordered to be discharged, and the execution of the judgment is suspended for the purpose of…

Writs of habeas corpus ad testificandum may be granted by any circuit court in the same manner and under the same conditions and provisions as are prescribed by this chapter as to granting the writ of habeas corpus ad subjiciendum so far as the same are applicable.

Whenever any habeas corpus case is pending in a federal court, upon written request of the Attorney General or any assistant attorney general, a court of this Commonwealth shall transmit to such federal court such records as may be requested.

The writ de homine replegiando is abolished.

As used in Chapters 26, 26.1 and 26.2, unless the context otherwise requires, the term: "Judgment" includes a decree, order, finding, or award. "Petitioner" means a party who petitions to the Court of Appeals or the Supreme Court for an appeal. "Appellant" means any aggrieved par…

A party aggrieved by a final decision of the Court of Appeals may petition the Supreme Court for an appeal in accordance with § 17.1-411.

A. When, prior to the commencement of trial, the circuit court has entered in any pending civil action an order granting or denying a plea of sovereign, absolute, or qualified immunity that, if granted, would immunize the movant from compulsory participation in the proceeding, th…

When a circuit court (i) grants or denies a motion to close any proceeding not otherwise authorized to be closed, (ii) issues sua sponte an order closing any proceeding not otherwise authorized to be closed, or (iii) affirms or reverses an order of any general district court or j…

A. In cases where an appeal is permitted from the trial court to the Supreme Court, no petition shall be presented for an appeal to the Supreme Court from any final judgment, whether the Commonwealth be a party or not, that was rendered more than 90 days before the petition is pr…

A. The Supreme Court may, when a case has before been in an appellate court, inspect the record upon the former appeal; and the court may, in any case, after reasonable notice to counsel in the appellate court, award a writ of certiorari to the clerk of the court below, and have …

The petition for appeal to the Supreme Court shall be filed with the Clerk of the Supreme Court. The Clerk shall endorse thereon the day and year he received it and shall refer it to one or more justices of the Supreme Court as the Court shall direct. A petition shall, for the pu…

After the dismissal of an appeal by the Supreme Court, no other appeal shall be allowed to or from the same judgment. When an appeal is dismissed by reason of the nonpayment of the writ tax within the time required by law, the Court at its first session after such dismissal may o…

The Supreme Court, on the petition of a party, shall rehear and review any case decided by such court if one of the justices who decides the case adversely to the petitioner certifies that in his opinion there is good cause for such rehearing. However, a notice of a petition for …

This chapter shall be known and may be cited as the "Virginia Prisoner Litigation Reform Act."

The provisions of this chapter shall apply to all pro se civil actions for money damages brought under the laws of this Commonwealth, or for injunctive, declaratory, or mandamus relief, brought by prisoners incarcerated in any state or local correctional facility, including a fac…

A prisoner seeking in forma pauperis status shall provide the court with a certified copy of his inmate trust account for the preceding twelve months. Any prisoner granted leave to proceed in forma pauperis shall nonetheless make payments, in equal installments as the court direc…

The court shall deny in forma pauperis status to any prisoner who has had three or more cases or appeals dismissed by any federal or state court for being frivolous, malicious, or for failure to state a claim, unless the prisoner shows that he is in imminent danger of serious phy…

Notwithstanding any other provision of law, no prisoner action shall be filed except in the city or county in which the prison is located where the prisoner was housed when his cause of action arose. When an action is filed in an improper venue, upon motion of the defendant or th…

In any action in which any defendant is the Commonwealth or one of its officers, employees, or agents, upon the grant of in forma pauperis status or receipt of the filing fee and costs, the court shall serve the Office of the Attorney General with a copy of the motion for judgmen…

Oral argument on any motion in any prisoner civil action shall be heard orally only at the request of the court; whenever possible, the court shall rule upon the record before it. No prisoner shall be permitted to request subpoenas for witnesses or documents, or file discovery re…

Notwithstanding the provisions of § 8.01-420, any time after commencement of a pro se prisoner civil action, a party may move for summary judgment on all issues based upon the pleadings, any admissions, and supporting affidavits. The adverse party may serve supporting affidavits …

All records maintained by the Department of Corrections in the name of individual prisoners, including prisoner medical records, shall be the property of the Department. Notwithstanding the provisions of § 32.1-127.1:03, in any civil suit subject to this chapter, where the Common…

On motion of any party, a circuit court may enter an order joining, coordinating, consolidating or transferring civil actions as provided in this chapter upon finding that: 1. Separate civil actions brought by six or more plaintiffs involve common questions of law or fact and ari…