When the Senate or House of Delegates, a joint committee or commission thereof, or any committee of either house authorized to send for persons and papers, shall order the attendance of any witness, or the production of any paper as evidence, a summons shall be issued accordingly by the clerk of such house, directed to the sheriff or other officer of any county or city, or the chief officer of the Virginia Capitol Police, or his designee, and, when served, obedience thereto may be enforced by attachment, fine and imprisonment in jail, at the discretion of the house which, or the committee of which, caused the summons to issue, or in the case of a joint committee or commission, at the discretion of such joint committee or commission or as the two houses may determine by joint resolution.

Terms Used In Virginia Code 30-10

  • Attachment: A procedure by which a person's property is seized to pay judgments levied by the court.
  • City: means an independent incorporated community which became a city as provided by law before noon on July 1, 1971, or which has within defined boundaries a population of 5,000 or more and which has become a city as provided by law. See Virginia Code 1-208
  • Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
  • Joint committee: Committees including membership from both houses of teh legislature. Joint committees are usually established with narrow jurisdictions and normally lack authority to report legislation.
  • Joint resolution: A legislative measure which requires the approval of both chambers.
  • Summons: Another word for subpoena used by the criminal justice system.

Code 1919, § 303; 1958, c. 608; 1971, Ex. Sess., c. 155; 2003, c. 231.

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