                                 CODE OF VIRGINIA

PRETRIAL CONFERENCE; MATTERS CONSIDERED (§ 15.2-3525)

The special court shall, prior to hearing any case under this article for the
establishment of a consolidated city, direct the attorneys for the parties to
appear before it, or, in its discretion, before a single judge for a conference
to consider:

1. Simplification of the issues;

2. Amendment of pleadings and filing of additional pleadings;

3. Stipulations as to facts, documents, records, photographs, plans and like
matters, which will dispense with formal proof thereof, including:
			a. The assessed values and the ratio of assessed values to true values as
determined by the State Department of Taxation in the counties, cities and towns
proposing to consolidate, including real property, personal property, machinery
and tools, merchants&#8217; capital and public service corporation assessments
for each year of the five years immediately preceding;
			b. The school population and school enrollment in the area proposing to
consolidate, as shown by the records in the office of the division
superintendent of schools; and the cost of education per pupil in average daily
membership as shown by the last preceding report of the Superintendent of Public
Instruction; and
			c. The population and the density of population of the area proposing to
consolidate;

4. The method of taking any population census requested by the petitioner;

5. Limitation on the number of expert witnesses, as well as requiring each
expert witness who will testify to file a statement of his qualifications;

6. Such other matters as may aid in the disposition of the case.
			The court, or the judge as the case may be, shall make an appropriate order
which will control the subsequent conduct of the case unless modified before or
at the trial or hearing to prevent manifest injustice.

HISTORY: 1979, c. 85, § 15.1-1130.7; 1997, c. 587; 2010, cc. 386, 629.