NCJ Number
84450
Date Published
Unknown
Length
0 pages
Annotation
Virginia's court system includes a supreme court, district courts, and circuit courts. Assistant Executive Secretary of Virginia's Supreme Court outlines these court's duties, jurisdiction, and judicial selection and tenure policies and discusses magistrates' responsibilities and professional standards.
Abstract
The circuit courts, 30 in number, have appellate jurisdiction over civil cases, and the district courts have jurisdiction over misdemeanor or civil cases involving small sums of money. The State has general district courts and juvenile and domestic civil courts. The Court Reorganization Act of 1973 changed the system of justices of the peace to magistrates, who review testimony regarding citizen or police complaints and issue warrants if the evidence is substantial. The case then goes to the district court and then the grand jury, which returns an indictment if the evidence is strong enough to merit a trial. The case is then sent to the circuit court unless the crime is thought to be a misdemeanor, in which case the district court hears the case. Magistrates operate under a system of ethical canons calling for dignified conduct, cooperation with other judges, honesty, etc. Magistrates can also develop their professionalism by participating in educational programming offered by the State and by performing administrative tasks; the speaker explains how magistrates complete daily court activities logs. He also defines the terms jurisdiction, venue, and venire and mentions the duties of the Judicial Inquiry and Review Committee.