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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>65523</law_id><section_number>48-9</section_number><catch_line>When case to be tried; dismissal; substitution of complainant; costs</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="48">Nuisances</unit><unit label="chapter" level="2" order_by="1" identifier="2">Houses of Prostitution, Etc.</unit></structure><text>
						<section><p>The suit when ready for <span class="dictionary">hearing</span> shall be tried at the first term of <span class="dictionary">court</span>, unless good cause for a <span class="dictionary">continuance</span> shall be shown, and in such suit oral <span class="dictionary">evidence</span> given in <span class="dictionary">court</span> of the general reputation of the place or criminal street gang as defined in &#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Definitions" href="/18.2-46.1/">18.2-46.1</a> shall be <span class="dictionary">admissible</span> for the purpose of proving or tending to prove the existence of such nuisance. If the complaint is filed by a citizen it shall not be dismissed by him before final <span class="dictionary">hearing</span>, except upon a sworn statement made by the complainant and his attorney, setting forth the reasons why the action should be dismissed, and the <span class="dictionary">dismissal</span> approved by the attorney for the Commonwealth, or the <span class="dictionary">Attorney General</span> of the Commonwealth, in writing or in open <span class="dictionary">court</span>. In any case, if the <span class="dictionary">court</span> is of the <span class="dictionary">opinion</span> that the suit ought not to be dismissed, it may direct the attorney for the Commonwealth to <span class="dictionary">prosecute</span> it to <span class="dictionary">judgment</span>; and if the suit is continued more than one term of <span class="dictionary">court</span>, any citizen or the attorney for the Commonwealth may be substituted for the complaining <span class="dictionary">party</span> and <span class="dictionary">prosecute</span> such suit to <span class="dictionary">judgment</span>. If the suit is brought by a citizen, and the <span class="dictionary">court</span> finds there was no reasonable ground or cause for said suit, the costs may be taxed against such citizen.</p></section></text><history>Code 1919, &#xA7; 1523; 2005, cc. 764, 813.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
