Chap. 268.—An ACT to Extend the Jurisdiction of Police Justices and
Justices of the Peace in Certain Cases.

Approved March 30, 1871.

1. Be it enacted by the general assembly of Virginia, That
the several police justices and justices of the peace of this
commonwealth, shall have concurrent jurisdiction with the
county and corporation courts of all petit larcenies; and in all
such cases, the punishment imposed may be such as the said
courts are authorized to inflict by existing laws.

2. The several police justices and justices of the peace, in
addition to the jurisdiction now exercised by them as conser-
vators of the peace, shall have concurrent jurisdiction with the
county and corporation courts of the state, of all cases of as-
sault and battery, not felonious, occurring within their juris-
diction; in all which cases, the punishment imposed may be
the same as the said courts are authorized to impose by existing
laws: provided, that in the cities and towns in which a police
justice has been or may hereafter be appointed or elected, the
powers and jurisdiction conferred by this act shall rot be ex-
ercised by any other justice of such city or town, except when
acting for and in the stead of the police justice, according to
law. ;

3. Any person convicted under the provisions of this act,
shall have the right to appeal to the county or corporation
court; and shall, unless let to bail, be committed by the justice
to jail, until the next term of such court, and the witnesses
shall be recognized to appear at said court; and the said jus-
tice shall return and file the papers with the clerk of said court,
whether the appeal be applied for or not.

4, The appeal shall be tried before said court without formal
pleadings, In writing, and the accused shall be entitled to trial

by a jury to be empanneled in the same way as in like cases
originating in said court.

5. This act shall be in force from its passage.