Chap. 180.—An ACT to amend and re-enact section 3, as heretofore amended, of
an act entitled an act making it a misdemeanor for a husband to desert or
neglect his wife or for a parent to desert or neglect his children; prescribing
the penalty therefor, and making provision for the apprehension and punish-
ment of persons charged with or convicted of non-support; providing for the
taking of recognizances and for the forfeiture and enforcement of the same;
providing for the appointment of probation officers, prescribing their duties
and powers, and repealing certain acts, approved March 27, 1918, in relation
to jurisdiction in cases of desertion and non-support. {H B 219]

Approved March 13, 1936

1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia, That section
three, as heretofore amended, of an act entitled an act making it a
misdemeanor for a husband to desert or neglect his wife or for a parent
to desert or neglect his children; prescribing the penalty therefor, and
making provision for the apprehension and punishment of persons
charged with or convicted of non-support; providing for the taking of
recognizances, and for the forfeiture and enforcement of the same;
providing for the appointment of probation officers, prescribing their
duties and powers, and repealing certain acts, approved March twenty-
seventh, nineteen hundred and eighteen, be amended and re-enacted so
as to read as follows:

Section 3. Proceedings under this act shall be had in the circuit
court of the counties and before the police justices or corporation court
of the cities ; provided, however, that in cities and counties where such
court shall be established, the juvenile and domestic relations court
shall have exclusive original jurisdiction in all cases arising under this
act, except that any grand jury of any such corporation court may
indict for desertion and non-support in any case wherein defendant is
a fugitive from the State of Virginia, and any defendant, so indicted,
presented and apprehended, may be tried by the court in which said
indictment or presentment is found, or may, in the discretion of said
court, be referred to the juvenile and domestic relations court in such
jurisdictions as such juvenile and domestic relations courts have been,
or may hereafter be established. The person accused shall have the
same right of appedl as provided by law in other similar cases; pro-
vided, however, that any order of court requiring support of wife or
children shall remain in full force and effect until reversed or modified
by judgment of a superior court, and in such interim, said order shall
be enforceable by the court entering the same, and said court may
punish for violation of such order as for contempt. After a judgment
of conviction and entry of order of support from which no appeal is
taken, the hearing in the appellate court on an appeal from any subse-
quent order, modification or amendment shall be restricted to the par-
ticular matter or order appealed from.

The justice and the ministerial officers acting under this act shall be
entitled to the same fees as are now or shall hereafter be allowed in
misdemeanor cases.