CHAPTER 37

AN ACT to amend and reenact § 39-4 of the Code of 1950, relat-
ing to jurisdiction of justices of the peace, so as to enlarge
the powers of justices of the peace on county property with-
in the corporate limits of certain cities under certain con-

ditions.
[ H 32 ]
Approved February 22, 1950

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:
1. That § 39-4 of the Code of 1950 be amended and reenacted
as follows:

§ 39-4. Jurisdiction in county, etc., for which trial justice
appointed.—No justice of the peace shall, within any county or
in any incorporated town located therein or in any city for
which a trial justice is appointed under the provisions of chap-
ter 2 of Title 16, exercise any civil or criminal jurisdiction con-
ferred on such trial justice. Justices of the peace within their
respective counties and on any property geographically within
any city therein, which is owned and used by the county, shall,
however, have the same power to issue attachments, warrants
and subpoenas within the jurisdiction of such trial justice as is
conferred upon the trial justice, and they shall also have power
to grant bail in any case in which they are authorized by general
law to grant bail and to receive their fees therefor; provided
that any justice of the peace of any county, while on any prop-
erty geographically located within any city having a population
of more than eleven thousand and less than twelve thousand
which property is owned and used by the county, shall not admit
any person to bail while on such county property geographically
within the city aforesaid unless the judge or the circuit court
of such county wherein the justice of the peace holds office shall
by order entered of record grant authority to such justice of the
peace to admit persons to bail. But such attachments, war-
rants, and subpoenas shall be returnable before the trial justice
for action thereon. Any officer making an arrest for a mis-
demeanor within any county or city for which a trial justice
has been appointed shall, upon the request of the person so
arrested, take him with reasonable promptness before the near-
est or any other available justice of the peace, or such other
officer authorized to grant bail, for the purpose of being admitted
to bail for his appearance before the trial justice.

2. Anemergency exists and this act is in force from its passage.