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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>74896</law_id><section_number>16.1-69.10</section_number><catch_line>Number of judges</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2025/" slug="2025" current="TRUE" last_updated="">2025</edition><referred_to_by><reference>16.1-69.9</reference></referred_to_by><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="4.1">District Courts</unit><unit label="article" level="3" order_by="1" identifier="2">Districts; District Courts and Judges</unit></structure><text>
						<section><p>The number of general district <span class="dictionary">court</span> <span class="dictionary">judges</span> and juvenile and domestic relations district <span class="dictionary">court</span> <span class="dictionary">judges</span>, excluding substitute <span class="dictionary">judges</span>, shall be determined as follows:</p></section>
						<section id="a"><p><span class="prefix-number">a.</span> <span class="dictionary">Judges</span> in office on January 1, 1973, shall be permitted to complete their terms pursuant to &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Judges in office continued; terms of judges; how elected or appointed" href="/16.1-69.9/">16.1-69.9</a>; <a id="paragraph-269065" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/16.1-69.10/#a"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="b"><p><span class="prefix-number">b.</span> [Repealed.] <a id="paragraph-269066" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/16.1-69.10/#b"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="c"><p><span class="prefix-number">c.</span> On and after January 1, 1974, the number of <span class="dictionary">judges</span> authorized in each district shall be determined by the General Assembly based on the requirement that all <span class="dictionary">judges</span> whose terms commence on and after July 1, 1980, serve on a full-time basis; and <a id="paragraph-269067" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/16.1-69.10/#c"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="d"><p><span class="prefix-number">d.</span> On and after July 1, 1980, the number of <span class="dictionary">judges</span> authorized in each district by the General Assembly shall be based on the requirement that no district <span class="dictionary">judge</span> whose term commences on or after July 1, 1980, shall be elected to serve in more than one district or to serve both a general district <span class="dictionary">court</span> and juvenile and domestic relations district <span class="dictionary">court</span> in any district; provided, however, that a <span class="dictionary">judge</span> may serve more than one general district <span class="dictionary">court</span> or more than one juvenile and domestic relations district <span class="dictionary">court</span> in one district. The Committee on District <span class="dictionary">Courts</span> shall make a study and report to the General Assembly on or before December 1 of each year on the number of <span class="dictionary">judges</span> needed and the districts for which they should be authorized. If the Committee recommends the creation of an additional <span class="dictionary">judgeship</span> in any district, it shall publish notice of such recommendation in a publication of general circulation among attorneys licensed to practice in the Commonwealth. <a id="paragraph-269068" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/16.1-69.10/#d"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section></text><history>1972, c. 708; 1973, c. 546; 1980, c. 194; 1999, c. 319.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
