{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/15.2-1606.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/15.2-1606.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/15.2-1606.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/15.2-1606.html"}],"law_id":85524,"edition_id":1,"section_id":85524,"structure_id":14768,"section_number":"15.2-1606","catch_line":"Defense of constitutional officers; appointment of counsel","history":"1977, c. 554, \u00a7 15.1-66.4; 1985, c. 321; 1997, c. 587.","full_text":"In the event that any treasurer, sheriff, attorney for the Commonwealth, clerk of the circuit court or commissioner of the revenue, or any deputy or assistant of any of such officers, is made defendant in any civil action arising out of the performance of his official duties and does not have legal defense provided under the insurance coverage of his office, such officer, or deputy or assistant thereto, may make application to the circuit court for the county or city in which he serves to assign counsel for his defense in such action. The court may, upon good cause shown, make such orders respecting the employment of an attorney or attorneys, including the attorney for the Commonwealth, as may be appropriate, and fix his compensation. Reimbursement of any expenses incurred in the defense of such charge may also be allowed by the court. Such legal fees and expenses shall be paid from the treasury of the county or city, and reimbursement shall be made from the Compensation Board in the proportions set out in \u00a7 15.2-1636.14.","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":306379,"text":"In the event that any treasurer, sheriff, attorney for the Commonwealth, clerk of the circuit court or commissioner of the revenue, or any deputy or assistant of any of such officers, is made defendant in any civil action arising out of the performance of his official duties and does not have legal defense provided under the insurance coverage of his office, such officer, or deputy or assistant thereto, may make application to the circuit court for the county or city in which he serves to assign counsel for his defense in such action. The court may, upon good cause shown, make such orders respecting the employment of an attorney or attorneys, including the attorney for the Commonwealth, as may be appropriate, and fix his compensation. Reimbursement of any expenses incurred in the defense of such charge may also be allowed by the court. Such legal fees and expenses shall be paid from the treasury of the county or city, and reimbursement shall be made from the Compensation Board in the proportions set out in \u00a7 15.2-1636.14.","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1}},"ancestry":[{"id":14768,"edition_id":1,"name":"Local Constitutional Officers, Courthouses and Supplies","identifier":"1","label":"article","depth":4,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12877,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:49:48","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:49:48","permalink":{"id":153307,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":14768,"identifier":"1","token":"15.2\/II\/16\/1","url":"\/15.2\/II\/16\/1\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12877,"edition_id":1,"name":"Local Constitutional Officers, Courthouses and Supplies","identifier":"16","label":"chapter","depth":3,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12733,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:43:58","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:43:58","permalink":{"id":153305,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12877,"identifier":"16","token":"15.2\/II\/16","url":"\/15.2\/II\/16\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12733,"edition_id":1,"name":"Powers of Local Government","identifier":"II","label":"subtitle","depth":2,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12720,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:43:50","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:43:50","permalink":{"id":152369,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12733,"identifier":"II","token":"15.2\/II","url":"\/15.2\/II\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12720,"edition_id":1,"name":"Counties, Cities and Towns","identifier":"15.2","label":"title","depth":1,"order_by":1,"parent_id":null,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:43:49","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:43:49","permalink":{"id":151279,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12720,"identifier":"15.2","token":"15.2","url":"\/15.2\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}}],"structure_contents":[{"id":65970,"structure_id":14768,"section_number":"15.2-1600","catch_line":"Counties and cities required to elect certain officers; qualifications of attorney for the Commonwealth; duties and compensation of officers; vacancies, certain counties and cities excepted; officer's powers not to be diminished","url":"\/15.2-1600\/","token":"15.2\/II\/16\/1\/15.2-1600","metadata":false},{"id":85670,"structure_id":14768,"section_number":"15.2-1601","catch_line":"Requirements for officers","url":"\/15.2-1601\/","token":"15.2\/II\/16\/1\/15.2-1601","metadata":false},{"id":78193,"structure_id":14768,"section_number":"15.2-1602","catch_line":"Sharing of such officers by two or more units of government","url":"\/15.2-1602\/","token":"15.2\/II\/16\/1\/15.2-1602","metadata":false},{"id":58488,"structure_id":14768,"section_number":"15.2-1603","catch_line":"Appointment of deputies; their powers; how removed","url":"\/15.2-1603\/","token":"15.2\/II\/16\/1\/15.2-1603","metadata":false},{"id":67681,"structure_id":14768,"section_number":"15.2-1604","catch_line":"Appointment of deputies and employment of employees; discriminatory practices by certain officers; civil penalty","url":"\/15.2-1604\/","token":"15.2\/II\/16\/1\/15.2-1604","metadata":false},{"id":56532,"structure_id":14768,"section_number":"15.2-1605","catch_line":"Vacations; sick leave and compensatory time for certain officers and employees","url":"\/15.2-1605\/","token":"15.2\/II\/16\/1\/15.2-1605","metadata":false},{"id":79797,"structure_id":14768,"section_number":"15.2-1605.1","catch_line":"Supplementing compensation of certain county and city officers and their employees","url":"\/15.2-1605.1\/","token":"15.2\/II\/16\/1\/15.2-1605.1","metadata":false},{"id":58472,"structure_id":14768,"section_number":"15.2-1605.2","catch_line":"Salary increases for constitutional officers","url":"\/15.2-1605.2\/","token":"15.2\/II\/16\/1\/15.2-1605.2","metadata":false},{"id":85524,"structure_id":14768,"section_number":"15.2-1606","catch_line":"Defense of constitutional officers; appointment of counsel","url":"\/15.2-1606\/","token":"15.2\/II\/16\/1\/15.2-1606","metadata":false},{"id":79074,"structure_id":14768,"section_number":"15.2-1607","catch_line":"Providing legal fees and expenses for sheriffs and deputies","url":"\/15.2-1607\/","token":"15.2\/II\/16\/1\/15.2-1607","metadata":false}],"previous_section":{"id":58472,"structure_id":14768,"section_number":"15.2-1605.2","catch_line":"Salary increases for constitutional officers","url":"\/15.2-1605.2\/","token":"15.2\/II\/16\/1\/15.2-1605.2","metadata":false},"next_section":{"id":79074,"structure_id":14768,"section_number":"15.2-1607","catch_line":"Providing legal fees and expenses for sheriffs and deputies","url":"\/15.2-1607\/","token":"15.2\/II\/16\/1\/15.2-1607","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/15.2-1606\/","history_text":"

This law was first created in 1977. The record of its establishment is cataloged in chapter 554 of that year\u2019s edition of \u201cActs of Assembly,\u201d the annual state publication listing all changes made to the Code of Virginia in that year. Unfortunately, the 1977 \u201cActs\u201d aren\u2019t available online. It has been modified 2 times. Those modifications are cataloged by \u201cThe Acts of Assembly,\u201d a state publication, by year and chapter. Those modifications that can be read on the General Assembly\u2019s website will be linked accordingly. Those modifications are as follows: in 1985, chapter 321; in 1997, chapter 587<\/a>.<\/p>","references":[{"id":79628,"section_number":"58.1-3146","catch_line":"Rule to show cause in such case; notice and hearing thereon","order_by":null,"url":"\/58.1-3146\/"}],"refers_to":[{"id":83338,"section_number":"15.2-1636.14","catch_line":"Proportion borne by Commonwealth and by localities","order_by":null,"url":"\/15.2-1636.14\/"}],"permalink":{"id":153341,"object_type":"law","relational_id":85524,"identifier":"15.2-1606","token":"15.2\/II\/16\/1\/15.2-1606","url":"\/15.2-1606\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/15.2-1606\/","token":"15.2\/II\/16\/1\/15.2-1606","dublin_core":{"Title":"Defense of constitutional officers; appointment of counsel","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 15.2-1606","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

In the event that any treasurer, sheriff, attorney for the Commonwealth, clerk of the circuit<\/span> court<\/span> or commissioner of the revenue, or any deputy or assistant of any of such officers, is made defendant<\/span> in any civil action<\/span> arising out of the performance of his official duties and does not have legal defense provided under the insurance coverage of his office, such officer, or deputy or assistant thereto, may make application to the circuit<\/span> court<\/span> for the county<\/span> or city<\/span> in which he serves to assign counsel<\/span> for his defense in such action. The court<\/span> may, upon good cause shown, make such orders<\/span> respecting the employment of an attorney or attorneys, including the attorney for the Commonwealth, as may be appropriate, and fix his compensation. Reimbursement of any expenses incurred in the defense of such charge may also be allowed by the court<\/span>. Such legal fees and expenses shall be paid from the treasury of the county<\/span> or city<\/span>, and reimbursement shall be made from the Compensation Board in the proportions set out in \u00a7 15.2-1636.14<\/a>.<\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nDEFENSE OF CONSTITUTIONAL OFFICERS; APPOINTMENT OF COUNSEL (\u00a7 15.2-1606)\n\nIn the event that any treasurer, sheriff, attorney for the Commonwealth, clerk\nof the circuit court or commissioner of the revenue, or any deputy or assistant\nof any of such officers, is made defendant in any civil action arising out of\nthe performance of his official duties and does not have legal defense provided\nunder the insurance coverage of his office, such officer, or deputy or assistant\nthereto, may make application to the circuit court for the county or city in\nwhich he serves to assign counsel for his defense in such action. The court may,\nupon good cause shown, make such orders respecting the employment of an attorney\nor attorneys, including the attorney for the Commonwealth, as may be\nappropriate, and fix his compensation. Reimbursement of any expenses incurred in\nthe defense of such charge may also be allowed by the court. Such legal fees and\nexpenses shall be paid from the treasury of the county or city, and\nreimbursement shall be made from the Compensation Board in the proportions set\nout in \u00a7 15.2-1636.14.\n\nHISTORY: 1977, c. 554, \u00a7 15.1-66.4; 1985, c. 321; 1997, c. 587.","edition":{"id":1,"name":"2025","slug":"2025","date_created":"2026-06-21 22:39:22","date_modified":"2026-06-21 22:39:22","current":1,"order_by":1,"last_import":null}}