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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>58226</law_id><section_number>8.01-216.18</section_number><catch_line>Civil investigative demands; judicial proceedings for noncompliance</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="8.01">Civil Remedies and Procedure</unit><unit label="chapter" level="2" order_by="1" identifier="3">Actions</unit><unit label="article" level="3" order_by="1" identifier="19.1">Virginia Fraud Against Taxpayers Act</unit></structure><text>
						<section id="A"><p><span class="prefix-number">A.</span> Whenever any <span class="dictionary">person</span> fails to comply with any civil investigative demand issued under this article, or whenever satisfactory copying or reproduction of any <span class="dictionary">material</span> requested in such demand cannot be done and such <span class="dictionary">person</span> refuses to surrender the <span class="dictionary">material</span>, the <span class="dictionary">Attorney General</span> may file in the appropriate <span class="dictionary">circuit</span> court for the county or city in which such <span class="dictionary">person</span> resides, is found, or transacts business, and serve upon such <span class="dictionary">person</span> a <span class="dictionary">petition</span> for a <span class="dictionary">court order</span> for the enforcement of the civil investigative demand. <a id="paragraph-213370" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/8.01-216.18/#A"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="B"><p><span class="prefix-number">B.</span> Any <span class="dictionary">person</span> who has received a civil investigative demand issued under this article may file, in the <span class="dictionary">circuit</span> court of any county or city within which such <span class="dictionary">person</span> resides, is found, or transacts business, and serve upon the investigator identified in such demand a <span class="dictionary">petition</span> for an order of the court to modify or set aside the demand. In the case of a <span class="dictionary">petition</span> addressed to an express demand for any <span class="dictionary">product of discovery</span>, a <span class="dictionary">petition</span> to modify or set aside such demand may be brought only in the <span class="dictionary">circuit</span> court of the county or city in which the proceeding in which such discovery was obtained is or was last pending. Any <span class="dictionary">petition</span> under this section shall be filed (i) within twenty-one days after the date of service of the civil investigative demand, or at any time before the return date specified in the demand, whichever date is earlier, or (ii) within such longer period as may be prescribed in writing by any investigator identified in the demand. <a id="paragraph-213371" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/8.01-216.18/#B"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="C"><p><span class="prefix-number">C.</span> The <span class="dictionary">petition</span> shall specify each ground upon which the petitioner relies in seeking relief, and may be based upon any failure of the demand to comply with the provisions of this article or upon any constitutional or other legal right or <span class="dictionary">privilege</span> of such <span class="dictionary">person</span>. During the pendency of the <span class="dictionary">petition</span> in the court, the court may <span class="dictionary">stay</span>, as it deems proper, the running of the time allowed for compliance with the demand, in whole or in part, except that the <span class="dictionary">person</span> filing the <span class="dictionary">petition</span> shall comply with any portions of the demand not sought to be modified or set aside. <a id="paragraph-213372" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/8.01-216.18/#C"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="D"><p><span class="prefix-number">D.</span> In the case of any civil investigative demand issued under this article that is an express demand for any <span class="dictionary">product of discovery</span>, the <span class="dictionary">person</span> from whom such discovery was obtained may file, in the <span class="dictionary">circuit</span> court of the county or city in which the proceeding in which such discovery was obtained is or was last pending, and serve upon any investigator identified in the demand and upon the recipient of the demand a <span class="dictionary">petition</span> for a <span class="dictionary">court order</span> to modify or set aside those portions of the demand requiring production of any such <span class="dictionary">product of discovery</span>. Any <span class="dictionary">petition</span> under this subsection shall be filed (i) within twenty-one days after the date of service of the civil investigative demand or at any time before the return date specified in the demand, whichever date is earlier, or (ii) within such longer period as may be prescribed in writing by any investigator identified in the demand. <a id="paragraph-213373" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/8.01-216.18/#D"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="E"><p><span class="prefix-number">E.</span> The <span class="dictionary">petition</span> shall specify each ground upon which the petitioner relies in seeking relief and may be based upon any failure of the demand from which relief is sought to comply with the provisions of this article, or upon any constitutional or other legal right or <span class="dictionary">privilege</span> of the petitioner. During the pendency of the <span class="dictionary">petition</span>, the court may <span class="dictionary">stay</span>, as it deems proper, compliance with the demand and the running of the time allowed for compliance with the demand. <a id="paragraph-213374" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/8.01-216.18/#E"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="F"><p><span class="prefix-number">F.</span> At any time during which any custodian is in <span class="dictionary">custody</span> or control of any <span class="dictionary">documentary material</span> or answers to <span class="dictionary">interrogatories</span> produced, or <span class="dictionary">transcripts</span> of oral <span class="dictionary">testimony</span> given by any <span class="dictionary">person</span> in compliance with any civil investigative demand issued under this article, such <span class="dictionary">person</span>, and in the case of an express demand for any <span class="dictionary">product of discovery</span>, the <span class="dictionary">person</span> from whom such discovery was obtained, may file, in the <span class="dictionary">circuit</span> court of the county or city within which the office of such custodian is situated, and serve upon such custodian a <span class="dictionary">petition</span> for a <span class="dictionary">court order</span> to require the performance by the custodian of any duty imposed upon the custodian by this section. Whenever any <span class="dictionary">petition</span> is filed in any <span class="dictionary">circuit</span> court under this section, the court shall have <span class="dictionary">jurisdiction</span> to hear and determine the matter so presented, and to enter such order or orders as may be required to carry out the provisions of this section. Any <span class="dictionary">final order</span> so entered shall be subject to <span class="dictionary">appeal</span> in the same manner as <span class="dictionary">appeals</span> of other <span class="dictionary">final orders</span> in civil matters. Any disobedience of any <span class="dictionary">final order</span> entered under this section by any court shall be punished as <span class="dictionary">contempt</span> of the court. <a id="paragraph-213375" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/8.01-216.18/#F"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="G"><p><span class="prefix-number">G.</span> Any <span class="dictionary">documentary material</span>, answers to written <span class="dictionary">interrogatories</span>, or oral <span class="dictionary">testimony</span> provided under any civil investigative demand issued under this article shall be exempt from disclosure under the Virginia Administrative Process Act (&#xA7; <a class="law" title="Short title; purpose" href="/2.2-4000/">2.2-4000</a> et seq.). <a id="paragraph-213376" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/8.01-216.18/#G"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section></text><history>2002, c. 842.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
