Bill Text: VA SB807 | 2017 | Regular Session | Comm Sub

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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) 2017-01-16 - Passed by indefinitely in Courts of Justice with letter (8-Y 3-N 1-A) [SB807 Detail]

Download: Virginia-2017-SB807-Comm_Sub.html

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17104069D
SENATE BILL NO. 807 AMENDMENT IN THE NATURE OF A SUBSTITUTE (Proposed by the Senate Committee for Courts of Justice on January 16, 2017) (Patron Prior to Substitute--Senator Stanley) A BILL to amend and reenact §17.1-507 of the Code of Virginia and to repeal the second enactment of Chapter 812 and the second enactment of Chapter 822 of the Acts of Assembly of 2014, relating to number of circuit court judges in the Twenty-first and Twenty-second Circuits.

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.