Chap. 284.—An ACT to define runners and cappers and prohibiting the solicitation
of business by runners and cappers for attorneys at law; providing that con-
tracts secured by them shall be void, and providing penalties for any violation
of the provisions of this act. [H B 214]

Approved March 24, 1932

1. Be it enacted by the general assembly of Virginia, That it shall
be unlawful for any person employed either as an officer, director, trus-
tee, clerk, servant, or agent of this State or any county, city and
county or other municipal corporation or subdivision thereof to act as
a runner or capper or solicit any business for attorneys in and about
the State prisons, county jails, city jails, city prisons or other places of
detention of persons, city receiving hospitals, city and county receiving
hospitals, county hospitals, police courts, justice courts, municipal
courts, superior courts or in any public institution or in any public
place or upon any public street or highway, or in and about private
hospitals, sanitariums or in and about any private institution or upon
private property of any character whatsoever.

2. It shall be unlawful for any person employed directly or in-
directly by any bail bond company whether on a salary or on a com-
mission to act as a runner or capper or to solicit any business for at-
torneys in and about State prisons, county jails, city jails, city prisons
or other places of detention of persons, city receiving hospitals, county
hospitals, city and county receiving hospitals, police courts, justice
courts, municipal courts, superior courts, or in any other public in-
stitution or in any public place or upon any public street or highway,
or in and about private hospitals, sanitariums, or in and about any pri-
vate institution or upon private property of any character whatsoever.

3. It shall be unlawful for any person to act as a runner or capper
or to solicit any business for attorneys in and about State prisons,
county jails, city jails, city prisons, or other places of detention of per-
sons, city receiving hospitals, city and county receiving hospitals,
county hospitals, police courts, justice courts, municipal courts, su-
perior courts, or in any other public institution or in any public place
or upon any public street or highway or in and about private hospitals,
sanitariums or in and about any private institution or upon private
property of any character whatsoever.

4. It shall be unlawful for any person, firm, corporation, partner-
ship or association to act as a runner or capper for any attorney or
attorneys or to solicit any business for attorneys in and about the State
prisons, county jails, city jails, city prisons, or other places of deten-
tion of persons, city receiving hospitals, city and county receiving
hospitals, county hospitals, police courts, justice courts, municipal
courts, superior courts, or in any public institution or in any public
place or upon any public street or highway or in and about private
hospitals, sanitariums or in and about any private institution or upon
private property of any character whatsoever.

5. A runner or capper is hereby defined as any person, firm, asso-
ciation or corporation acting in any manner or in any capacity as an
agent for an attorney-at-law within this State in the solicitation or
procurement of business for such attorney-at-law, as provided in this
act. An agent as hereby defined, is one who represents another in
dealing with third person or persons.

6. Any person, firm, partnership, association, or corporation vio-
lating any of the provisions of this act shall be guilty of a misde-
meanor, and shall be punishable by a fine not less than one hundred
dollars nor more than five hundred dollars, or by imprisonment for
not less than one month nor more than six months, or by both such
fine and imprisonment. Any person mentioned in section one of this
act, who shall be found guilty of violating any of the provisions of this.
act shall forfeit the right to his office and employment, and in addition
thereto, shall be punishable by a fine of not less than one hundred
dollars nor more than five hundred dollars, or by imprisonment for not
less than one month nor more than six months, or by both such fine
and imprisonment. Any contract for professional services secured by
any attorney-at-law in this State through the services of a runner or
capper shall be void.

7. If any section, sentence, clause or phrase of this act is for any
reason held to be unconstitutional, such decision shall not affect the re-
maining portions of this act. The legislature hereby declares that it
would have passed this act, and each section, sentence, clause and
phrase thereof, irrespective of the fact that any one or more other sec-
tions, sentences, clauses, or phrases be declared unconstitutional.