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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>58311</law_id><section_number>15.2-854</section_number><catch_line>Investigations</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2025/" slug="2025" current="TRUE" last_updated="">2025</edition><referred_to_by><reference>2.2-524</reference></referred_to_by><structure><unit label="title" level="1" order_by="1" identifier="15.2">Counties, Cities and Towns</unit><unit label="subtitle" level="2" order_by="1" identifier="I">General Provisions; Charters; Other Forms and Organization of Counties</unit><unit label="chapter" level="3" order_by="1" identifier="8">Urban County Executive Form of Government</unit><unit label="article" level="4" order_by="1" identifier="3">Human Rights</unit></structure><text>
						<section><p>Whenever the commission on human rights has a reasonable cause to believe that any person has engaged in, or is engaging in, any violation of a <span class="dictionary">county</span> <span class="dictionary">ordinance</span> that prohibits discrimination due to race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions, national origin, military status, age, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability, and, after making a good faith effort to obtain the data, information, and attendance of witnesses necessary to determine whether such violation has occurred, is unable to obtain such data, information, or attendance, it may request the <span class="dictionary">county</span> attorney to <span class="dictionary">petition</span> the <span class="dictionary">judge</span> of the general district <span class="dictionary">court</span> for its <span class="dictionary">jurisdiction</span> for a <span class="dictionary">subpoena</span> against any such person refusing to produce such data and information or refusing to appear as a <span class="dictionary">witness</span>, and the <span class="dictionary">judge</span> of such <span class="dictionary">court</span> may, upon good cause shown, cause the <span class="dictionary">subpoena</span> to be issued. Any <span class="dictionary">witness</span> <span class="dictionary">subpoena</span> issued under this section shall include a statement that any statements made will be under <span class="dictionary">oath</span> and that the respondent or other <span class="dictionary">witness</span> is entitled to be represented by an attorney. Any person failing to comply with a <span class="dictionary">subpoena</span> issued under this section shall be subject to punishment for <span class="dictionary">contempt</span> by the <span class="dictionary">court</span> issuing the <span class="dictionary">subpoena</span>. Any person so subpoenaed may apply to the <span class="dictionary">judge</span> who issued a <span class="dictionary">subpoena</span> to <span class="dictionary">quash</span> it.</p></section></text><history>1986, c. 495, &#xA7; 15.1-783.2; 1994, c. 873; 1997, cc. 404, 587; 2020, cc. 1137, 1140; 2021, Sp. Sess. I, cc. 477, 478.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
