Virginia Code 16.1-69.8: Existing courts continued and redesignated; exception
The present system of courts not of record is continued as follows on and after July 1, 1973:
Terms Used In Virginia Code 16.1-69.8
- Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
- Town: means any existing town or an incorporated community within one or more counties which became a town before noon, July 1, 1971, as provided by law or which has within defined boundaries a population of 1,000 or more and which has become a town as provided by law. See Virginia Code 1-254
(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 within the county for which a municipal court with general civil or criminal jurisdiction or separate general district court has not been established.
(b) The municipal court or courts in each city, excluding juvenile and domestic relations courts, shall continue as the general district court of the city with the same powers and territorial jurisdiction over such city; provided that in the case of more than one such municipal court in operation in any city, all such courts shall be merged on July 1, 1973, and their powers and territorial jurisdiction merged in the general district court.
(c) The juvenile and domestic relations court of each county and city shall continue as the juvenile and domestic relations district court of the county or city with the same powers and territorial jurisdiction as heretofore provided.
(d) The municipal court of any town and/or other court of any town having general civil and criminal jurisdiction however called shall be abolished and all jurisdiction and power conferred upon any such court shall pass to and be exercised by the district courts having jurisdiction over the county wherein the town is located.
1972, c. 708; 1973, c. 546; 2018, c. 164.