                                 CODE OF VIRGINIA

HOW SUMMONS FOR WITNESS ISSUED AND TO WHOM DIRECTED; HOW WITNESS RELEASED FROM
SUBPOENA; PRIOR PERMISSION OF COURT TO SUMMON CERTAIN OFFICIALS AND JUDGES (§
8.01-407)

A. A summons may be issued, directed as prescribed in &#xA7; 8.01-292,
commanding the officer to summon any person to attend on the day and at the
place that such attendance is desired, to give evidence before a court, grand
jury, arbitrators, magistrate, notary, or any commissioner or other person
appointed by a court or acting under its process or authority in a judicial or
quasi-judicial capacity. The summons may be issued by the clerk of the court if
the attendance is desired at a court or in a proceeding pending in a court. The
clerk shall not impose any time restrictions limiting the right to properly
request a summons up to and including the date of the proceeding:
			If attendance is desired before a commissioner in chancery or other
commissioner of a court, the summons may be issued by the clerk of the court in
which the matter is pending, or by such commissioner in chancery or other
commissioner;
			If attendance is desired before a notary or other officer taking a
deposition, the summons may be issued by such notary or other officer at the
instance of the attorney desiring the attendance of the person sought;
			If attendance is sought before a grand jury, the summons may be issued by the
attorney for the Commonwealth, or the clerk of the court, at the instance of the
attorney for the Commonwealth.
			Except as otherwise provided in this subsection, if attendance is desired in
a civil proceeding pending in a court or at a deposition in connection with such
proceeding, including medical malpractice review panels, and a claim before the
Workers&#8217; Compensation Commission, a summons may be issued by an
attorney-at-law who is an active member of the Virginia State Bar at the time of
issuance, as an officer of the court. An attorney-issued summons shall be on a
form approved by the Supreme Court, signed by the attorney and shall include the
attorney&#8217;s address. The summons and any transmittal sheet shall be deemed
to be a pleading to which the provisions of &#xA7; 8.01-271.1 shall apply. A
copy of the summons and, if served by a sheriff, all service of process fees,
shall be mailed or delivered to the clerk&#8217;s office of the court in which
the case is pending or the Workers&#8217; Compensation Commission, as
applicable, on the day of issuance by the attorney. The law governing summonses
issued by a clerk shall apply mutatis mutandis. When an attorney-at-law who is
an active member of the Virginia State Bar transmits one or more attorney-issued
subpoenas to a sheriff to be served in his jurisdiction, such subpoenas shall be
accompanied by a transmittal sheet. The transmittal sheet, which may be in the
form of a letter, shall contain for each subpoena (i) the person to be served,
(ii) the name of the city or county in which the subpoena is to be served, in
parentheses, (iii) the style of the case in which the subpoena was issued, (iv)
the court in which the case is pending, and (v) the amount of fees tendered or
paid to each clerk in whose court the case is pending together with a photocopy
of either (a) the payment instrument and a photocopy of the letter sent to the
clerk&#8217;s office that accompanied such payment instrument or (b) the
clerk&#8217;s receipt. If copies of the same transmittal sheet are used to send
subpoenas to more than one sheriff for service of process, then subpoenas shall
be grouped by the jurisdiction in which they are to be served. For each person
to be served, an original subpoena and copy thereof shall be included. If the
attorney desires a return copy of the transmittal sheet as proof of receipt, he
shall also enclose an additional copy of the transmittal sheet together with an
envelope addressed to the attorney with sufficient first class postage affixed.
Upon receipt of such transmittal, the transmittal sheet shall be date-stamped
and, if the extra copy and above-described envelope are provided, the copy shall
also be date-stamped and returned to the attorney-at-law in the above-described
envelope.
			However, when such transmittal does not comply with the provisions of this
section, the sheriff may promptly return such transmittal if accompanied by a
short description of such noncompliance. An attorney may not issue a summons in
any of the following civil proceedings: (1) habeas corpus under Article 3
(&#xA7; 8.01-654 et seq.) of Chapter 25, (2) delinquency or abuse and neglect
proceedings under Article 3 (&#xA7; 16.1-241 et seq.) of Chapter 11 of Title
16.1, (3) civil forfeiture proceedings, (4) administrative license suspension
pursuant to &#xA7; 46.2-391.2, and (5) petition for writs of mandamus or
prohibition in connection with criminal proceedings. A sheriff shall not be
required to serve an attorney-issued subpoena that is not issued at least five
business days prior to the date that attendance is desired.
			In other cases, if attendance is desired, the summons may be issued by the
clerk of the circuit court of the county or city in which the attendance is
desired.
			A summons shall express on whose behalf, and in what case or about what
matter, the witness is to attend. Failure to respond to any such summons shall
be punishable by the court in which the proceeding is pending as for contempt.
When any subpoena is served less than five calendar days before appearance is
required, the court may, after considering all of the circumstances, refuse to
enforce the subpoena for lack of adequate notice. If any subpoena is served less
than five calendar days before appearance is required upon any judicial officer
generally incompetent to testify pursuant to &#xA7; 19.2-271, such subpoena
shall be without legal force or effect unless the subpoena has been issued by a
judge.
			Following the issuance of a subpoena issued at the request of a party or by
or at the request of an attorney representing a party, the person to whom such
subpoena is directed may be released from compliance with such subpoena by any
attorney for the party on whose behalf the subpoena was issued, by a party
requesting the subpoena, or by a person acting on behalf of such attorney,
provided that, in civil cases only, notwithstanding &#xA7; 19.2-267, such
release is in writing and served concurrently on all other parties, or, if any
such party is represented by counsel, on the attorney of record, by electronic
mail, notwithstanding the requirements of Rule 1:12 of the Rules of Supreme
Court of Virginia. A copy of such written release shall also be sent to the
clerk of the court via fax or, if available, through the clerk&#8217;s
electronic filing system. For purposes of this paragraph, (A) a release
transmitted by electronic mail to the person to whom such subpoena was directed
qualifies as a written release from such subpoena and (B) a copy of such written
release shall be served contemporaneously on all other parties by electronic
mail.

B. No subpoena shall, without permission of the court first obtained, issue for
the attendance of the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, or Attorney General of the
Commonwealth, a judge of any court thereof; the President or Vice President of
the United States; any member of the President&#8217;s Cabinet; any ambassador
or consul; or any military officer on active duty holding the rank of admiral or
general.

HISTORY: Code 1950, §§ 8-296, 8-297; 1952, c. 122; 1977, c. 617; 1992, c. 506;
2000, c. 813; 2002, c. 463; 2004, c. 335; 2007, c. 199; 2010, cc. 302, 486;
2016, c. 173; 2019, c. 519; 2021, Sp. Sess. I, c. 463; 2023, c. 92; 2024, c.
487.