{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/17.1-100.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/17.1-100.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/17.1-100.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/17.1-100.html"}],"law_id":55876,"edition_id":1,"section_id":55876,"structure_id":13578,"section_number":"17.1-100","catch_line":"Judicial performance evaluation program","history":"2002, c. 726; 2005, c. 633; 2014, c. 808; 2018, c. 727.","full_text":"A\n\nThe Supreme Court, by rule, shall establish and maintain a judicial performance evaluation program that will provide a self-improvement mechanism for judges and a source of information for the reelection process. By December 1 of each year, the Supreme Court, or its designee, shall transmit a report of the evaluation in the final year of the term of each justice and judge whose term expires during the next session of the General Assembly to the Chairmen of the House and Senate Committees for Courts of Justice. Such report shall include the number of cases during the judge’s term in which a judge imposed a sentence that is either greater or less than that indicated by the sentencing guidelines and did not file a written explanation of such departure required pursuant to subsection B of § 19.2-298.01. The Virginia Criminal Sentencing Commission shall provide such information to the Supreme Court by November 1.B\n\nThe reporting requirement of this section shall become effective when funds are appropriated for this program and shall apply to the evaluation of any justice or judge who has had at least one interim evaluation conducted during his term. For any judge or justice elected or reelected on or after January 1, 2014, an interim evaluation of each individual justice or judge shall be completed during his term. Such interim evaluation shall be commenced by the judicial performance evaluation program no later than the midpoint of his term.C\n\nAll records created or maintained by or on behalf of the judicial performance evaluation program related to an evaluation of any individual justice or judge are confidential and shall not be disclosed, except that any report provided to the General Assembly pursuant to this section shall be a public record that is open to inspection.","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":204668,"text":"The Supreme Court, by rule, shall establish and maintain a judicial performance evaluation program that will provide a self-improvement mechanism for judges and a source of information for the reelection process. By December 1 of each year, the Supreme Court, or its designee, shall transmit a report of the evaluation in the final year of the term of each justice and judge whose term expires during the next session of the General Assembly to the Chairmen of the House and Senate Committees for Courts of Justice. Such report shall include the number of cases during the judge’s term in which a judge imposed a sentence that is either greater or less than that indicated by the sentencing guidelines and did not file a written explanation of such departure required pursuant to subsection B of § 19.2-298.01. The Virginia Criminal Sentencing Commission shall provide such information to the Supreme Court by November 1.","type":"section","prefixes":["A"],"prefix":"A","entire_prefix":"A","prefix_anchor":"A","level":1,"next_prefix":"B"},"1":{"id":204669,"text":"The reporting requirement of this section shall become effective when funds are appropriated for this program and shall apply to the evaluation of any justice or judge who has had at least one interim evaluation conducted during his term. For any judge or justice elected or reelected on or after January 1, 2014, an interim evaluation of each individual justice or judge shall be completed during his term. Such interim evaluation shall be commenced by the judicial performance evaluation program no later than the midpoint of his term.","type":"section","prefixes":["B"],"prefix":"B","entire_prefix":"B","prefix_anchor":"B","level":1,"prior_prefix":"A","next_prefix":"C"},"2":{"id":204670,"text":"All records created or maintained by or on behalf of the judicial performance evaluation program related to an evaluation of any individual justice or judge are confidential and shall not be disclosed, except that any report provided to the General Assembly pursuant to this section shall be a public record that is open to inspection.","type":"section","prefixes":["C"],"prefix":"C","entire_prefix":"C","prefix_anchor":"C","level":1,"prior_prefix":"B"}},"ancestry":[{"id":13578,"edition_id":1,"name":"General Provisions","identifier":"1","label":"chapter","depth":2,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12766,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:45:18","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:45:18","permalink":{"id":162801,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":13578,"identifier":"1","token":"17.1\/1","url":"\/17.1\/1\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12766,"edition_id":1,"name":"Courts of Record","identifier":"17.1","label":"title","depth":1,"order_by":1,"parent_id":null,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:43:52","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:43:52","permalink":{"id":162799,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12766,"identifier":"17.1","token":"17.1","url":"\/17.1\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}}],"structure_contents":[{"id":55876,"structure_id":13578,"section_number":"17.1-100","catch_line":"Judicial performance evaluation program","url":"\/17.1-100\/","token":"17.1\/1\/17.1-100","metadata":false},{"id":63741,"structure_id":13578,"section_number":"17.1-101","catch_line":"Time within which a judge may qualify; failure vacates office","url":"\/17.1-101\/","token":"17.1\/1\/17.1-101","metadata":false},{"id":56802,"structure_id":13578,"section_number":"17.1-102","catch_line":"Justices and judges not permitted to practice law or seek or hold elective or other office","url":"\/17.1-102\/","token":"17.1\/1\/17.1-102","metadata":false},{"id":83655,"structure_id":13578,"section_number":"17.1-103","catch_line":"Residence requirements of judges","url":"\/17.1-103\/","token":"17.1\/1\/17.1-103","metadata":false},{"id":64488,"structure_id":13578,"section_number":"17.1-104","catch_line":"In election by court, votes to be recorded","url":"\/17.1-104\/","token":"17.1\/1\/17.1-104","metadata":false},{"id":59242,"structure_id":13578,"section_number":"17.1-105","catch_line":"Designation of judges to hold courts and assist other judges","url":"\/17.1-105\/","token":"17.1\/1\/17.1-105","metadata":false},{"id":63334,"structure_id":13578,"section_number":"17.1-106","catch_line":"Temporary recall of retired judges; 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failure vacates office","url":"\/17.1-101\/","token":"17.1\/1\/17.1-101","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/17.1-100\/","history_text":"

This law was first created in 2002. The record of its establishment is cataloged in chapter 726<\/a> 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. It has been modified 3 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 2005, chapter 633<\/a>; in 2014, chapter 808<\/a>; in 2018, chapter 727<\/a>.<\/p>","references":false,"refers_to":[{"id":64383,"section_number":"19.2-298.01","catch_line":"Use of discretionary sentencing guidelines","order_by":null,"url":"\/19.2-298.01\/"}],"permalink":{"id":162803,"object_type":"law","relational_id":55876,"identifier":"17.1-100","token":"17.1\/1\/17.1-100","url":"\/17.1-100\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/17.1-100\/","token":"17.1\/1\/17.1-100","dublin_core":{"Title":"Judicial performance evaluation program","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 17.1-100","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

A.<\/span> The Supreme Court<\/span>, by rule, shall establish and maintain a judicial performance evaluation program that will provide a self-improvement mechanism for judges<\/span> and a source of information for the reelection process. By December 1 of each year, the Supreme Court<\/span>, or its designee, shall transmit a report of the evaluation in the final year of the term of each justice and judge<\/span> whose term expires during the next session of the General Assembly to the Chairmen of the House and Senate Committees for Courts<\/span> of Justice. Such report shall include the number of cases during the judge<\/span>’s term in which a judge<\/span> imposed a sentence that is either greater or less than that indicated by the sentencing guidelines<\/span> and did not file a written explanation of such departure required pursuant to subsection B of § 19.2-298.01<\/a>. The Virginia Criminal Sentencing Commission shall provide such information to the Supreme Court<\/span> by November 1. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

B.<\/span> The reporting requirement of this section shall become effective when funds are appropriated for this program and shall apply to the evaluation of any justice or judge<\/span> who has had at least one interim evaluation conducted during his term. For any judge<\/span> or justice elected or reelected on or after January 1, 2014, an interim evaluation of each individual justice or judge<\/span> shall be completed during his term. Such interim evaluation shall be commenced by the judicial performance evaluation program no later than the midpoint of his term. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

C.<\/span> All records created or maintained by or on behalf of the judicial performance evaluation program related to an evaluation of any individual justice or judge<\/span> are confidential and shall not be disclosed, except that any report provided to the General Assembly pursuant to this section shall be a public record that is open to inspection. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nJUDICIAL PERFORMANCE EVALUATION PROGRAM (\u00a7 17.1-100)\n\nA. The Supreme Court, by rule, shall establish and maintain a judicial\nperformance evaluation program that will provide a self-improvement mechanism\nfor judges and a source of information for the reelection process. By December 1\nof each year, the Supreme Court, or its designee, shall transmit a report of the\nevaluation in the final year of the term of each justice and judge whose term\nexpires during the next session of the General Assembly to the Chairmen of the\nHouse and Senate Committees for Courts of Justice. Such report shall include the\nnumber of cases during the judge’s term in which a judge imposed a\nsentence that is either greater or less than that indicated by the sentencing\nguidelines and did not file a written explanation of such departure required\npursuant to subsection B of § 19.2-298.01. The Virginia Criminal Sentencing\nCommission shall provide such information to the Supreme Court by November 1.\n\nB. The reporting requirement of this section shall become effective when funds\nare appropriated for this program and shall apply to the evaluation of any\njustice or judge who has had at least one interim evaluation conducted during\nhis term. For any judge or justice elected or reelected on or after January 1,\n2014, an interim evaluation of each individual justice or judge shall be\ncompleted during his term. Such interim evaluation shall be commenced by the\njudicial performance evaluation program no later than the midpoint of his term.\n\nC. All records created or maintained by or on behalf of the judicial performance\nevaluation program related to an evaluation of any individual justice or judge\nare confidential and shall not be disclosed, except that any report provided to\nthe General Assembly pursuant to this section shall be a public record that is\nopen to inspection.\n\nHISTORY: 2002, c. 726; 2005, c. 633; 2014, c. 808; 2018, c. 727.","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}}