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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>69635</law_id><section_number>24.2-233</section_number><catch_line>Removal of elected and certain appointed officers by courts</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2025/" slug="2025" current="TRUE" last_updated="">2025</edition><referred_to_by><reference>24.2-234</reference><reference>24.2-235</reference><reference>24.2-236</reference><reference>24.2-238</reference></referred_to_by><structure><unit label="title" level="1" order_by="1" identifier="24.2">Elections</unit><unit label="chapter" level="2" order_by="1" identifier="2">Federal, Commonwealth, and Local Officers</unit><unit label="article" level="3" order_by="1" identifier="7">Removal of Public Officers from Office</unit></structure><text>
						<section><p>Upon <span class="dictionary">petition</span>, a <span class="dictionary">circuit</span> <span class="dictionary">court</span> may remove from office any elected officer or officer who has been appointed to fill an elective office, residing within the <span class="dictionary">jurisdiction</span> of the <span class="dictionary">court</span>:</p></section>
						<section id="1"><p><span class="prefix-number">1.</span> For neglect of a clear, ministerial duty of the office, misuse of the office, or incompetence in the performance of the duties of the office when that neglect of duty, misuse of office, or incompetence in the performance of duties has a <span class="dictionary">material</span> adverse effect upon the conduct of the office; <a id="paragraph-251778" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/24.2-233/#1"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="2"><p><span class="prefix-number">2.</span> Upon <span class="dictionary">conviction</span> of a <span class="dictionary">misdemeanor</span> pursuant to Article 1 (&#xA7; <a class="law" title="Use of terms &quot;controlled substances,&quot; &quot;marijuana,&quot; &quot;Schedules I, II, III, IV, V, and VI,&quot; &quot;imitation controlled substance,&quot; and &quot;counterfeit controlled substance&quot; in Title 18.2" href="/18.2-247/">18.2-247</a> et seq.) or Article 1.1 (&#xA7; <a class="law" title="Definition" href="/18.2-265.1/">18.2-265.1</a> et seq.) of Chapter 7 of Title 18.2 and after all rights of <span class="dictionary">appeal</span> have terminated involving the:
			a. Manufacture, sale, gift, distribution, or <span class="dictionary">possession</span> with <span class="dictionary">intent</span> to manufacture, sell, give, or distribute a controlled substance;
			b. Sale, <span class="dictionary">possession</span> with <span class="dictionary">intent</span> to sell, or placing an advertisement for the purpose of selling drug paraphernalia; or
			c. <span class="dictionary">Possession</span> of any controlled substance and such <span class="dictionary">conviction</span> under subdivision a, b, or c has a <span class="dictionary">material</span> adverse effect upon the conduct of such office; <a id="paragraph-251779" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/24.2-233/#2"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="3"><p><span class="prefix-number">3.</span> Upon <span class="dictionary">conviction</span>, and after all rights of <span class="dictionary">appeal</span> have terminated, of a <span class="dictionary">misdemeanor</span> involving a &#x201C;hate <span class="dictionary">crime</span>&#x201D; as that term is defined in &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Reporting hate crimes" href="/52-8.5/">52-8.5</a> when the <span class="dictionary">conviction</span> has a <span class="dictionary">material</span> adverse effect upon the conduct of such office; or <a id="paragraph-251780" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/24.2-233/#3"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="4"><p><span class="prefix-number">4.</span> Upon <span class="dictionary">conviction</span>, and after all rights of <span class="dictionary">appeal</span> have terminated, of sexual <span class="dictionary">battery</span> in violation of &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Sexual battery" href="/18.2-67.4/">18.2-67.4</a>, attempted sexual <span class="dictionary">battery</span> in violation of subsection C of &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Attempted rape, forcible sodomy, object sexual penetration, aggravated sexual battery, and sexual battery" href="/18.2-67.5/">18.2-67.5</a>, peeping or spying into dwelling or enclosure in violation of &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Peeping or spying into dwelling or enclosure" href="/18.2-130/">18.2-130</a>, consensual sexual intercourse with a child 15 years of age or older in violation of &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Causing or encouraging acts rendering children delinquent, abused, etc.; penalty; abandoned infant" href="/18.2-371/">18.2-371</a>, or indecent exposure of himself or procuring another to expose himself in violation of &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Indecent exposure" href="/18.2-387/">18.2-387</a>, and such <span class="dictionary">conviction</span> has a <span class="dictionary">material</span> adverse effect upon the conduct of such office.
			The <span class="dictionary">petition</span> must be signed by a number of <span class="dictionary">registered voters</span> who reside within the <span class="dictionary">jurisdiction</span> of the officer equal to 10 percent of the total number of votes cast at the last <span class="dictionary">election</span> for the office that the officer holds.
			Any person removed from office under the provisions of subdivision 2, 3, or 4 may not be subsequently subject to the provisions of this section for the same criminal <span class="dictionary">offense</span>. <a id="paragraph-251781" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/24.2-233/#4"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section></text><history>1975, cc. 515, 595, &#xA7; 24.1-79.5; 1989, c. 470; 1993, c. 641; 2002, cc. 588, 623; 2011, cc. 384, 410; 2014, cc. 566, 674, 719; 2021, Sp. Sess. I, cc. 550, 551; 2023, cc. 663, 664.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
