                                 CODE OF VIRGINIA

DEFINITIONS; CONSTRUCTION OF REFERENCES TO PERIOD OF YEARS (§ 16.1-69.53)

As used in this article, the following terms shall have the following meanings:
		&#8220;Court records&#8221; shall include case records, financial records and
administrative records as defined in this section.
		&#8220;Case records&#8221; shall mean all documents, dockets and indices.
		&#8220;Documents&#8221; shall mean all motions for judgment, bills of
complaint, answers, bills of particulars, other pleadings, interrogatories,
motions in writing, warrants, summonses, petitions, proof of service, witness
summonses and subpoenas, documents received in evidence, transcripts, orders,
judgments, writs, and any other similar case-related records and papers in the
possession of the district courts and filed with the pleadings in the case.
		&#8220;Financial records&#8221; shall mean all papers and records related to
the receipt and disbursement of money by the district court.
		&#8220;Administrative records&#8221; shall mean all other court papers and
records not otherwise defined.
		Whenever a reference to a period of years for the retention of documents is
made in this section, it shall be construed to commence on January 2 of the
first year following (i) the final adjudication of a civil case or (ii) the
final disposition in all other cases, unless otherwise specified herein. In
foster care cases, the final disposition date is the date of transfer of custody
to a local board of social services or a child welfare agency.

HISTORY: 1983, c. 499; 2002, c. 747.