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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>78480</law_id><section_number>16.1-131.1</section_number><catch_line>Procedure when constitutionality of a statute is challenged in a court not of record</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2025/" slug="2025" current="TRUE" last_updated="">2025</edition><structure><unit label="title" level="1" order_by="1" identifier="16.1">Courts Not of Record</unit><unit label="chapter" level="2" order_by="1" identifier="7">Jurisdiction and Procedure in Criminal Matters</unit><unit label="article" level="3" order_by="1" identifier="2">Procedure in Criminal Cases</unit></structure><text>
						<section><p>In any criminal or traffic case in a <span class="dictionary">court</span> not of record, if the <span class="dictionary">court</span> rules that a <span class="dictionary">statute</span> or local <span class="dictionary">ordinance</span> is unconstitutional, it shall upon <span class="dictionary">motion</span> of the Commonwealth, or the locality if a local <span class="dictionary">ordinance</span> is the subject of the ruling, <span class="dictionary">stay</span> the proceedings and <span class="dictionary">issue</span> a written statement of its <span class="dictionary">findings</span> of <span class="dictionary">law</span> and relevant <span class="dictionary">facts</span>, if any, in support of its ruling and shall transmit the case, together with all papers, documents, and <span class="dictionary">evidence</span> connected therewith, to the <span class="dictionary">circuit</span> <span class="dictionary">court</span> for a determination of constitutionality. Either <span class="dictionary">party</span> may file a <span class="dictionary">brief</span> with the <span class="dictionary">circuit</span> <span class="dictionary">court</span>. Either <span class="dictionary">party</span> may request <span class="dictionary">oral argument</span> before the <span class="dictionary">circuit</span> <span class="dictionary">court</span>. The <span class="dictionary">circuit</span> <span class="dictionary">court</span> shall give the <span class="dictionary">issue</span> priority on its <span class="dictionary">docket</span>. If the <span class="dictionary">circuit</span> <span class="dictionary">court</span> rules that the <span class="dictionary">statute</span> or local <span class="dictionary">ordinance</span> is unconstitutional, the Commonwealth or the locality may <span class="dictionary">appeal</span> such <span class="dictionary">interlocutory order</span> to the <span class="dictionary">Court</span> of <span class="dictionary">Appeals</span> and thereafter to the Supreme <span class="dictionary">Court</span>; however, if the <span class="dictionary">circuit</span> <span class="dictionary">court</span> rules that the <span class="dictionary">statute</span> or local <span class="dictionary">ordinance</span> is constitutional, the <span class="dictionary">circuit</span> <span class="dictionary">court</span> shall <span class="dictionary">remand</span> the case to the <span class="dictionary">court</span> not of record for <span class="dictionary">trial</span> consistent with the ruling of the <span class="dictionary">circuit</span> <span class="dictionary">court</span>.</p></section></text><history>2006, cc. 571, 876; 2010, cc. 303, 609.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
