Chap. 173.—An ACT to amend and re-enact Section 4987-j of the Code of Virginia,
relating to the return of papers by trial justices to clerk’s office, and issuing
execution and abstracts of judgments. {H B 76]

Approved March 12, 1940

1. Beit enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia, That sec-
tion forty-nine hundred and eighty-seven-j of the Code of Virginia,
be amended and re-enacted so as to read as follows:
Section 4987-j. Keeping and disposition of papers.—All papers
connected with any of the proceedings before the trial justice, except
such as may relate to cases appealed or removed, or which by general
law are required to be sooner returned to the clerk’s office of the circuit
court, shall remain in the office of the trial justice, or of the clerk
appointed by him hereunder, for two years after final disposition by
judgment or otherwise by the trial justice, and executions and abstracts
of judgment and additional executions in such proceedings may be
issued by such trial justice or clerk at any time during such period of
two years in accordance with the general law in relation to abstracts of
judgment and executions. Whenever the trial justice, or his clerk,
makes out any abstract of a judgment rendered by such trial justice,
he shall note thereon whether or not an execution has been issued on
said judgment, and if so, the date of the issuance thereof, and the
officers return thereon, if any and when said abstract of judgment is
docketed in the clerk’s office of the circuit court of the county, or
corporation court of the city, in which the case was disposed of, the
clerk of such circuit or corporation court shall, at the time he dockets
the same, note at an appropriate place on the lien docket, the infor-
mation so furnished by the trial justice as to whether or not he had
issued an execution on said judgment; and the officers return thereon,
if any, and after said judgment shall have been so docketed, the clerk
of such circuit or corporation court shall have the same power and
authority to issue executions on such abstract of judgment as if the
judgment were rendered in such circuit or corporation court. In any
case in which the accused is permitted by the trial justice to pay in
installments any fine imposed upon him, the papers may be retained
by the trial justice until the fine is paid or the suspension revoked,
provided such total period shall not exceed three years after con-
viction. At the end of such period, such papers shall be returned to
the clerk’s office of the circuit court of the county or of the corporation
court of the city in which the case was disposed of, and shall be properly
filed, indexed and preserved by the clerk thereof, who shall receive the
same fees as are now allowed for receiving, filing and indexing like
papers returned by justices of the peace.