Bill Text: VA HB1427 | 2017 | Regular Session | Prefiled
Bill Title: Judges; reduces number in circuit courts in the Twenty-first and Twenty-second Circuits.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2017-02-07 - Left in Courts of Justice [HB1427 Detail]
Download: Virginia-2017-HB1427-Prefiled.html
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:
1. That §17.1-507 of the Code of Virginia is amended and reenacted as follows:
§17.1-507. Maximum number of judges; residence requirement; compensation; powers; etc.
A. For the several judicial circuits there shall be judges, the maximum number as hereinafter set forth, who shall during their service reside within their respective circuits and whose compensation and powers shall be the same as now and hereafter prescribed for circuit judges.
The maximum number of judges of the circuits shall be as follows:
First -- 5
Second -- 9
Third -- 4
Fourth -- 8
Fifth -- 3
Sixth -- 3
Seventh -- 6
Eighth -- 3
Ninth -- 4
Tenth -- 4
Eleventh -- 3
Twelfth -- 6
Thirteenth -- 8
Fourteenth -- 5
Fifteenth -- 11
Sixteenth -- 6
Seventeenth -- 3
Eighteenth -- 4
Nineteenth -- 15
Twentieth -- 5
Twenty-first -- 2 3
Twenty-second -- 5 4
Twenty-third -- 5
Twenty-fourth -- 5
Twenty-fifth -- 5
Twenty-sixth -- 8
Twenty-seventh -- 7
Twenty-eighth -- 4
Twenty-ninth -- 5
Thirtieth -- 4
Thirty-first -- 6
B. No
additional circuit court judge shall be authorized or provided for any judicial
circuit until the Judicial Council has made a study of the need for such
additional circuit court judge and has reported its findings and
recommendations to the Courts of Justice Committees of the House of Delegates
and Senate. The boundary of any judicial circuit shall not
be changed until a study has been made by the Judicial Council and a report of
its findings and recommendations made to said Committees.
C. If the Judicial Council finds the need for an additional
circuit court judge after a study is made pursuant to
subsection B, the study shall be made available to the
Compensation Board and the Courts of Justice Committees of the House of
Delegates and Senate and Council shall publish notice of such finding in a
publication of general circulation among attorneys licensed to practice in the
Commonwealth. The Compensation Board shall make a study of the need to provide additional
courtroom security and deputy court clerk staffing. This study shall be
reported to the Courts of Justice Committees of the House of Delegates and the
Senate, and to the Department of Planning and Budget.
2. That the second enactment of Chapter 812 and the second enactment of Chapter 822 of the Acts of Assembly of 2014 are repealed.
