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Virginia 19th Judicial Circuit

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The Virginia 19th Judicial Circuit resides in Virginia. Click on the links below to learn more about the court's...

Jurisdiction

This court holds the following jurisdiction:[1]

The circuit court is the trial court of general jurisdiction in Virginia, and the court has authority to try a full range of both civil and criminal cases. Civil cases involve disputes essentially private in nature between two or more parties; criminal cases are controversies between the Commonwealth and persons accused of a crime. Only in a circuit court is a jury provided for the trial of many of these disputes and controversies.

The Virginia circuit court system is composed of 31 judicial circuits with 120 separate circuit courts in the various counties and cities of the Commonwealth. The Supreme Court of Virginia establishes the rules of practice and procedure for the circuit courts, and the Executive Secretary of the Supreme Court serves as the administrator of the circuit court system.[2]

Selection method

See also: Legislative election of judges

Judges of the circuit court are elected by a majority vote of the Virginia General Assembly (the combined Virginia House of Delegates and Virginia State Senate).[3][4]

Judges serve for eight years. At the end of their terms, judges must be re-elected by the legislature just as they initially were.[3]

The chief judge of each court is selected by peer vote for a two-year term.[4] The judicial retirement age is 73.[5]

Qualifications
To serve on the supreme court, court of appeals or circuit court, a judge must be:[4]

  • a state resident;
  • a circuit resident (for circuit judges);
  • a state bar member for at least five years; and
  • no older than 70.

See also



External links

Footnotes