Chap. 120.—An ACT to provide for a trial justice in counties having a popula-
tion of not less than forty thousand nor more than forty-six thousand, and to
prescribe the term of office, the jurisdiction, duties and compensation of such
trial justices. [S B 378]

Approved March 17, 1930

1. Be it enacted by the general assembly of Virginia, as follows:
Section 1. In every county of this Commonwealth having a popu-
lation of not less than forty thousand nor more than forty-six thousand,
as shown by the 1920 United States census, there shall be a trial
justice. Such trial justice shall be a resident of the county, and shall
be appointed by the circuit court of the county, or by the judge thereof
in vacation, within thirty days from the date this act becomes effective
and every four years thereafter, from a list of one or more eligible:
furnished by the board of supervisors of the county, and in the even
of the failure of said board to furnish such list in due time, sucl
court or judge shall make the appointment without such list. Any
such trial justice may be removed by such court, for good cause showt
and after reasonable notice.

Any such trial justice so appointed shall, before entering upon the
discharge of his duties, take the oath prescribed by law, and enter intc
bond in the penalty of two thousand dollars, with approved security
before such court, or the clerk thereof in his office, conditioned accord.
ing to law.

Section 2. Such trial justice shall have all the power and authority
of a justice of the peace, for the trial of, and he is hereby charged
with the duty of trying, all civil and criminal cases which Justices of
the peace now have, or may hereafter by general law be given authority
to try, and in general shall have all powers and authority of a justice
of the peace except in the matter of issuing warrants. He shall not
have authority to issue any warrants, either civil or criminal. All
such warrants shall be issued by the justices of the peace of the county,
as heretofore, and shall, when served, be returned to the trial justice,
who shall hear and determine all such cases in the same manner as
justices of the peace hear and determine similar cases, keeping similar
records of his proceedings, and making return of papers to the clerk’s
office of his county immediately upon the termination of anly case.

Section 3. Such trial justice shall sit for the trial of cases at the
courthouse and at one or more places in each magisterial district in
his county, at such times as he may appoint, but not less often than
once in each month, in each district, and he shall have the right, in his
discretion, to remove any case from any place of sitting, to be heard
by him at the courthouse of the county. He shall keep continuously
posted at the courthouse door, a list of the times and places he will
sit in the several districts.

Section 4. The trial justice shall tax in the costs in all cases tried
»y him, the same fees as justices of the peace are authorized to tax
Xv general law, but all fees earned by him shall be paid into the treas-
iry of the county, and the trial justice shall be. paid out of the general
‘tunds in the county treasury, such salary as the board of supervisors
nay determine, and such board shall also make him such allowance
is may be sufficient to cover his necessary traveling expenses and shall
Uso furnish him with all necessary record books.

Section 5. The person appointed as trial justice under the pro-
isions of this act may, also, be judge of the juvenile and domestic
elations court of his county, if such court be established, as is now
rovided by law.

Section 6. In the event the trial justice herein provided for shall
e unable to perform the duties of his office temporarily, from any
ause, the circuit court of such county or the judge thereof in vacating,
; hereby authorized and empowered to appoint some suitable person,
rith qualifications of such trial justice, to discharge and perform the
uties of the office during such temporary disability.

An emergency existing, this act shall be force from its passage.

a NS