{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/16.1-69.33.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/16.1-69.33.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/16.1-69.33.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/16.1-69.33.html"}],"law_id":78281,"edition_id":1,"section_id":78281,"structure_id":13494,"section_number":"16.1-69.33","catch_line":"Committee on District Courts","history":"1972, c. 708; 1973, cc. 546, 547; 1974, cc. 333, 484; 1975, c. 334; 1976, cc. 52, 444; 1978, c. 133; 1984, c. 23; 1992, c. 497; 2001, c. 367; 2004, c. 330; 2008, c. 115; 2015, c. 331.","full_text":"There is hereby established a Committee on District Courts to be composed of the Majority Leader of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of Delegates, the Chairman of the House Committee for Courts of Justice or his designee who shall be a member of the committee, the Chairman of the Senate Committee for Courts of Justice or his designee who shall be a member of the committee, two members of the House Committee for Courts of Justice to be appointed by the Chairman of the committee, and two members of the Senate Committee for Courts of Justice to be appointed by the Chairman of the committee, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Virginia who shall be chair of the Committee, one judge of a circuit court, two general district court judges and two juvenile and domestic relations district court judges. The judicial members of the Committee on District Courts shall be made to give representation insofar as feasible to various geographic areas of the Commonwealth. The judicial members of the Committee on District Courts shall be appointed by, and serve at the pleasure of the Chief Justice.\n\t\tThe Committee shall meet at such times and places as it may from time to time designate for the purposes of authorizing the appointment of substitute judges pursuant to \u00a7 16.1-69.14, authorizing the establishment of clerks’ offices in counties or cities as may be requisite, and establishing when such offices shall be open for business, authorizing the appointment of personnel for the district courts pursuant to Article 4 (\u00a7 16.1-69.37 et seq.) of this chapter and establishing procedures for administrative review of appeals from personnel actions for district court personnel and magistrates, fixing salary classification schedules of court personnel pursuant to Article 5 (\u00a7 16.1-69.44 et seq.) of this chapter and establishing vacation and sick leave for district court judges, district court personnel and magistrates, and for such other duties or matters as are now, or may hereafter be conferred upon the Committee by law. The Committee may also adopt an official seal and authorize its use by district court clerks and deputy clerks of the district courts. Such salary classification schedules, vacation and sick leave policies shall be uniform throughout the Commonwealth.\n\t\tThe Committee on District Courts shall have sole authority and discretion in adjusting salary classification schedules for district court personnel. The Committee shall fix such salaries for the several district court personnel at least annually at such time as it deems it proper and as soon as practicable thereafter certify to the Comptroller and the Executive Secretary of the Supreme Court a detailed statement of the salaries fixed by them for the several district courts and the effective date of any salary adjustments.\n\t\tThe Committee on District Courts shall appoint (i) a Clerk’s Advisory Committee composed of two clerks from the general district courts and two clerks from the juvenile and domestic relations district courts; such appointments shall be made after giving due consideration to former clerks of county and municipal courts not of record; (ii) a Magistrate’s Advisory Committee composed of two magistrates; such advisory committees are to make recommendations to the Committee regarding administrative functions of the district courts.\n\t\tFor the performance of their duties, the Committee shall be reimbursed out of the money appropriated for the adjudication of cases in the district trial courts for their actual expenses incurred in the performance of their duties and in addition, per diem compensation allowed for members of the General Assembly for each day spent in performing such duties; provided, however, that no additional compensation shall be paid to members of the judiciary serving on the Committee.\n\t\tIn the event of the establishment of personal liability of a district court judge or magistrate for the loss of property or money from a district court or magistrate’s office by reason of robbery or burglary, the Committee on District Courts shall have the authority, after appropriate investigation and upon its determination that the individual judge or magistrate was not negligent in the performance of his duties, to reimburse such judge or magistrate to the extent of his personal liability on a warrant of the Comptroller issued as provided by law. However, such reimbursement shall not exceed $1,000 per claim. This paragraph shall apply to all claims arising on and after July 1, 1976.","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":280633,"text":"There is hereby established a Committee on District Courts to be composed of the Majority Leader of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of Delegates, the Chairman of the House Committee for Courts of Justice or his designee who shall be a member of the committee, the Chairman of the Senate Committee for Courts of Justice or his designee who shall be a member of the committee, two members of the House Committee for Courts of Justice to be appointed by the Chairman of the committee, and two members of the Senate Committee for Courts of Justice to be appointed by the Chairman of the committee, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Virginia who shall be chair of the Committee, one judge of a circuit court, two general district court judges and two juvenile and domestic relations district court judges. The judicial members of the Committee on District Courts shall be made to give representation insofar as feasible to various geographic areas of the Commonwealth. The judicial members of the Committee on District Courts shall be appointed by, and serve at the pleasure of the Chief Justice.\n\t\tThe Committee shall meet at such times and places as it may from time to time designate for the purposes of authorizing the appointment of substitute judges pursuant to \u00a7 16.1-69.14, authorizing the establishment of clerks’ offices in counties or cities as may be requisite, and establishing when such offices shall be open for business, authorizing the appointment of personnel for the district courts pursuant to Article 4 (\u00a7 16.1-69.37 et seq.) of this chapter and establishing procedures for administrative review of appeals from personnel actions for district court personnel and magistrates, fixing salary classification schedules of court personnel pursuant to Article 5 (\u00a7 16.1-69.44 et seq.) of this chapter and establishing vacation and sick leave for district court judges, district court personnel and magistrates, and for such other duties or matters as are now, or may hereafter be conferred upon the Committee by law. The Committee may also adopt an official seal and authorize its use by district court clerks and deputy clerks of the district courts. Such salary classification schedules, vacation and sick leave policies shall be uniform throughout the Commonwealth.\n\t\tThe Committee on District Courts shall have sole authority and discretion in adjusting salary classification schedules for district court personnel. The Committee shall fix such salaries for the several district court personnel at least annually at such time as it deems it proper and as soon as practicable thereafter certify to the Comptroller and the Executive Secretary of the Supreme Court a detailed statement of the salaries fixed by them for the several district courts and the effective date of any salary adjustments.\n\t\tThe Committee on District Courts shall appoint (i) a Clerk’s Advisory Committee composed of two clerks from the general district courts and two clerks from the juvenile and domestic relations district courts; such appointments shall be made after giving due consideration to former clerks of county and municipal courts not of record; (ii) a Magistrate’s Advisory Committee composed of two magistrates; such advisory committees are to make recommendations to the Committee regarding administrative functions of the district courts.\n\t\tFor the performance of their duties, the Committee shall be reimbursed out of the money appropriated for the adjudication of cases in the district trial courts for their actual expenses incurred in the performance of their duties and in addition, per diem compensation allowed for members of the General Assembly for each day spent in performing such duties; provided, however, that no additional compensation shall be paid to members of the judiciary serving on the Committee.\n\t\tIn the event of the establishment of personal liability of a district court judge or magistrate for the loss of property or money from a district court or magistrate’s office by reason of robbery or burglary, the Committee on District Courts shall have the authority, after appropriate investigation and upon its determination that the individual judge or magistrate was not negligent in the performance of his duties, to reimburse such judge or magistrate to the extent of his personal liability on a warrant of the Comptroller issued as provided by law. However, such reimbursement shall not exceed $1,000 per claim. This paragraph shall apply to all claims arising on and after July 1, 1976.","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1}},"ancestry":[{"id":13494,"edition_id":1,"name":"Administration and Supervision of the District Courts","identifier":"3","label":"article","depth":3,"order_by":1,"parent_id":13142,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:45:02","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:45:02","permalink":{"id":162159,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":13494,"identifier":"3","token":"16.1\/4.1\/3","url":"\/16.1\/4.1\/3\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":13142,"edition_id":1,"name":"District Courts","identifier":"4.1","label":"chapter","depth":2,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12700,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:44:21","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:44:21","permalink":{"id":161993,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":13142,"identifier":"4.1","token":"16.1\/4.1","url":"\/16.1\/4.1\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12700,"edition_id":1,"name":"Courts Not of Record","identifier":"16.1","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":160919,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12700,"identifier":"16.1","token":"16.1","url":"\/16.1\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}}],"structure_contents":[{"id":54457,"structure_id":13494,"section_number":"16.1-69.30","catch_line":"District system within unified court system","url":"\/16.1-69.30\/","token":"16.1\/4.1\/3\/16.1-69.30","metadata":false},{"id":55293,"structure_id":13494,"section_number":"16.1-69.31","catch_line":"The duties of the Judicial Council","url":"\/16.1-69.31\/","token":"16.1\/4.1\/3\/16.1-69.31","metadata":false},{"id":78384,"structure_id":13494,"section_number":"16.1-69.32","catch_line":"Rules","url":"\/16.1-69.32\/","token":"16.1\/4.1\/3\/16.1-69.32","metadata":false},{"id":68146,"structure_id":13494,"section_number":"16.1-69.32:1","catch_line":"Substitution of counsel","url":"\/16.1-69.32_1\/","token":"16.1\/4.1\/3\/16.1-69.32_1","metadata":false},{"id":78281,"structure_id":13494,"section_number":"16.1-69.33","catch_line":"Committee on District Courts","url":"\/16.1-69.33\/","token":"16.1\/4.1\/3\/16.1-69.33","metadata":false},{"id":72552,"structure_id":13494,"section_number":"16.1-69.34","catch_line":"Reserved","url":"\/16.1-69.34\/","token":"16.1\/4.1\/3\/16.1-69.34","metadata":false},{"id":74349,"structure_id":13494,"section_number":"16.1-69.35","catch_line":"Administrative duties of chief district judge","url":"\/16.1-69.35\/","token":"16.1\/4.1\/3\/16.1-69.35","metadata":false},{"id":61573,"structure_id":13494,"section_number":"16.1-69.35:01","catch_line":"Location of district courts for Albemarle County","url":"\/16.1-69.35_01\/","token":"16.1\/4.1\/3\/16.1-69.35_01","metadata":false},{"id":85601,"structure_id":13494,"section_number":"16.1-69.35:1","catch_line":"Location of district courts for Carroll County","url":"\/16.1-69.35_1\/","token":"16.1\/4.1\/3\/16.1-69.35_1","metadata":false},{"id":69451,"structure_id":13494,"section_number":"16.1-69.35:2","catch_line":"Recording of proceedings in district courts","url":"\/16.1-69.35_2\/","token":"16.1\/4.1\/3\/16.1-69.35_2","metadata":false},{"id":58257,"structure_id":13494,"section_number":"16.1-69.35:3","catch_line":"(Expires pursuant to Acts 2025, c. 292, cl. 2) Twelfth Judicial District; chief judges; designation of cases to be heard in Colonial Heights.","url":"\/16.1-69.35_3\/","token":"16.1\/4.1\/3\/16.1-69.35_3","metadata":false},{"id":79440,"structure_id":13494,"section_number":"16.1-69.36","catch_line":"Where process returnable and trials held in certain cases","url":"\/16.1-69.36\/","token":"16.1\/4.1\/3\/16.1-69.36","metadata":false}],"previous_section":{"id":68146,"structure_id":13494,"section_number":"16.1-69.32:1","catch_line":"Substitution of counsel","url":"\/16.1-69.32_1\/","token":"16.1\/4.1\/3\/16.1-69.32_1","metadata":false},"next_section":{"id":72552,"structure_id":13494,"section_number":"16.1-69.34","catch_line":"Reserved","url":"\/16.1-69.34\/","token":"16.1\/4.1\/3\/16.1-69.34","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/16.1-69.33\/","history_text":"

This law was first created in 1972. The record of its establishment is cataloged in chapter 708 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 1972 \u201cActs\u201d aren\u2019t available online. It has been modified 11 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 1973, chapters 546 and 547; in 1974, chapters 333 and 484; in 1975, chapter 334; in 1976, chapters 52 and 444; in 1978, chapter 133; in 1984, chapter 23; in 1992, chapter 497; in 2001, chapter 367<\/a>; in 2004, chapter 330<\/a>; in 2008, chapter 115<\/a>; in 2015, chapter 331<\/a>.<\/p>","references":[{"id":79551,"section_number":"16.1-69.38","catch_line":"Authorization for substitute judges and personnel","order_by":null,"url":"\/16.1-69.38\/"},{"id":86468,"section_number":"19.2-34","catch_line":"Number of magistrates","order_by":null,"url":"\/19.2-34\/"}],"refers_to":[{"id":69501,"section_number":"16.1-69.14","catch_line":"Number of substitute judges","order_by":null,"url":"\/16.1-69.14\/"},{"id":62755,"section_number":"16.1-69.37","catch_line":"Personnel continued in office","order_by":null,"url":"\/16.1-69.37\/"},{"id":68748,"section_number":"16.1-69.44","catch_line":"Salaries of judges","order_by":null,"url":"\/16.1-69.44\/"}],"permalink":{"id":162177,"object_type":"law","relational_id":78281,"identifier":"16.1-69.33","token":"16.1\/4.1\/3\/16.1-69.33","url":"\/16.1-69.33\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/16.1-69.33\/","token":"16.1\/4.1\/3\/16.1-69.33","dublin_core":{"Title":"Committee on District Courts","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 16.1-69.33","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

There is hereby established a Committee on District Courts<\/span> to be composed of the Majority Leader of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of Delegates, the Chairman of the House Committee for Courts<\/span> of Justice or his designee who shall be a member of the committee, the Chairman of the Senate Committee for Courts<\/span> of Justice or his designee who shall be a member of the committee, two members of the House Committee for Courts<\/span> of Justice to be appointed by the Chairman of the committee, and two members of the Senate Committee for Courts<\/span> of Justice to be appointed by the Chairman of the committee, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court<\/span> of Virginia who shall be chair of the Committee, one judge<\/span> of a circuit<\/span> court<\/span>, two general district court<\/span> judges<\/span> and two juvenile and domestic relations district court<\/span> judges<\/span>. The judicial members of the Committee on District Courts<\/span> shall be made to give representation insofar as feasible to various geographic areas of the Commonwealth. The judicial members of the Committee on District Courts<\/span> shall be appointed by, and serve at the pleasure of the Chief Justice.\n\t\tThe Committee shall meet at such times and places as it may from time to time designate for the purposes of authorizing the appointment of substitute judges<\/span> pursuant to \u00a7 16.1-69.14<\/a>, authorizing the establishment of clerks’ offices in counties or cities as may be requisite, and establishing when such offices shall be open for business, authorizing the appointment of personnel for the district courts<\/span> pursuant to Article 4 (\u00a7 16.1-69.37<\/a> et seq.) of this chapter and establishing procedures for administrative review of appeals<\/span> from personnel actions for district court<\/span> personnel and magistrates<\/span>, fixing salary classification schedules<\/span> of court<\/span> personnel pursuant to Article 5 (\u00a7 16.1-69.44<\/a> et seq.) of this chapter and establishing vacation and sick leave for district court<\/span> judges<\/span>, district court<\/span> personnel and magistrates<\/span>, and for such other duties or matters as are now, or may hereafter be conferred upon the Committee by law<\/span>. The Committee may also adopt an official seal and authorize its use by district court<\/span> clerks and deputy clerks of the district courts<\/span>. Such salary classification schedules<\/span>, vacation and sick leave policies shall be uniform throughout the Commonwealth.\n\t\tThe Committee on District Courts<\/span> shall have sole authority and discretion in adjusting salary classification schedules<\/span> for district court<\/span> personnel. The Committee shall fix such salaries for the several district court<\/span> personnel at least annually at such time as it deems it proper and as soon as practicable thereafter certify to the Comptroller and the Executive Secretary of the Supreme Court<\/span> a detailed statement of the salaries fixed by them for the several district courts<\/span> and the effective date of any salary adjustments.\n\t\tThe Committee on District Courts<\/span> shall appoint (i) a Clerk’s Advisory Committee composed of two clerks from the general district courts<\/span> and two clerks from the juvenile and domestic relations district courts<\/span>; such appointments shall be made after giving due consideration to former clerks of county and municipal courts<\/span> not of record; (ii) a Magistrate<\/span>’s Advisory Committee composed of two magistrates<\/span>; such advisory committees are to make recommendations to the Committee regarding administrative functions of the district courts<\/span>.\n\t\tFor the performance of their duties, the Committee shall be reimbursed out of the money appropriated for the adjudication of cases in the district trial<\/span> courts<\/span> for their actual expenses incurred in the performance of their duties and in addition, per diem compensation allowed for members of the General Assembly for each day spent in performing such duties; provided, however, that no additional compensation shall be paid to members of the judiciary serving on the Committee.\n\t\tIn the event of the establishment of personal liability of a district court<\/span> judge<\/span> or magistrate<\/span> for the loss of property or money from a district court<\/span> or magistrate<\/span>’s office by reason of robbery<\/span> or burglary<\/span>, the Committee on District Courts<\/span> shall have the authority, after appropriate investigation and upon its determination that the individual judge<\/span> or magistrate<\/span> was not negligent in the performance of his duties, to reimburse such judge<\/span> or magistrate<\/span> to the extent of his personal liability on a warrant of the Comptroller issued as provided by law<\/span>. However, such reimbursement shall not exceed $1,000 per claim. This paragraph shall apply to all claims arising on and after July 1, 1976.<\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nCOMMITTEE ON DISTRICT COURTS (\u00a7 16.1-69.33)\n\nThere is hereby established a Committee on District Courts to be composed of the\nMajority Leader of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of Delegates, the\nChairman of the House Committee for Courts of Justice or his designee who shall\nbe a member of the committee, the Chairman of the Senate Committee for Courts of\nJustice or his designee who shall be a member of the committee, two members of\nthe House Committee for Courts of Justice to be appointed by the Chairman of the\ncommittee, and two members of the Senate Committee for Courts of Justice to be\nappointed by the Chairman of the committee, the Chief Justice of the Supreme\nCourt of Virginia who shall be chair of the Committee, one judge of a circuit\ncourt, two general district court judges and two juvenile and domestic relations\ndistrict court judges. The judicial members of the Committee on District Courts\nshall be made to give representation insofar as feasible to various geographic\nareas of the Commonwealth. The judicial members of the Committee on District\nCourts shall be appointed by, and serve at the pleasure of the Chief Justice.\n\t\tThe Committee shall meet at such times and places as it may from time to time\ndesignate for the purposes of authorizing the appointment of substitute judges\npursuant to \u00a7 16.1-69.14, authorizing the establishment of clerks’\noffices in counties or cities as may be requisite, and establishing when such\noffices shall be open for business, authorizing the appointment of personnel for\nthe district courts pursuant to Article 4 (\u00a7 16.1-69.37 et seq.) of this\nchapter and establishing procedures for administrative review of appeals from\npersonnel actions for district court personnel and magistrates, fixing salary\nclassification schedules of court personnel pursuant to Article 5 (\u00a7 16.1-69.44\net seq.) of this chapter and establishing vacation and sick leave for district\ncourt judges, district court personnel and magistrates, and for such other\nduties or matters as are now, or may hereafter be conferred upon the Committee\nby law. The Committee may also adopt an official seal and authorize its use by\ndistrict court clerks and deputy clerks of the district courts. Such salary\nclassification schedules, vacation and sick leave policies shall be uniform\nthroughout the Commonwealth.\n\t\tThe Committee on District Courts shall have sole authority and discretion in\nadjusting salary classification schedules for district court personnel. The\nCommittee shall fix such salaries for the several district court personnel at\nleast annually at such time as it deems it proper and as soon as practicable\nthereafter certify to the Comptroller and the Executive Secretary of the Supreme\nCourt a detailed statement of the salaries fixed by them for the several\ndistrict courts and the effective date of any salary adjustments.\n\t\tThe Committee on District Courts shall appoint (i) a Clerk’s Advisory\nCommittee composed of two clerks from the general district courts and two clerks\nfrom the juvenile and domestic relations district courts; such appointments\nshall be made after giving due consideration to former clerks of county and\nmunicipal courts not of record; (ii) a Magistrate’s Advisory Committee\ncomposed of two magistrates; such advisory committees are to make\nrecommendations to the Committee regarding administrative functions of the\ndistrict courts.\n\t\tFor the performance of their duties, the Committee shall be reimbursed out of\nthe money appropriated for the adjudication of cases in the district trial\ncourts for their actual expenses incurred in the performance of their duties and\nin addition, per diem compensation allowed for members of the General Assembly\nfor each day spent in performing such duties; provided, however, that no\nadditional compensation shall be paid to members of the judiciary serving on the\nCommittee.\n\t\tIn the event of the establishment of personal liability of a district court\njudge or magistrate for the loss of property or money from a district court or\nmagistrate’s office by reason of robbery or burglary, the Committee on\nDistrict Courts shall have the authority, after appropriate investigation and\nupon its determination that the individual judge or magistrate was not negligent\nin the performance of his duties, to reimburse such judge or magistrate to the\nextent of his personal liability on a warrant of the Comptroller issued as\nprovided by law. However, such reimbursement shall not exceed $1,000 per claim.\nThis paragraph shall apply to all claims arising on and after July 1, 1976.\n\nHISTORY: 1972, c. 708; 1973, cc. 546, 547; 1974, cc. 333, 484; 1975, c. 334;\n1976, cc. 52, 444; 1978, c. 133; 1984, c. 23; 1992, c. 497; 2001, c. 367; 2004,\nc. 330; 2008, c. 115; 2015, c. 331.","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}}