4.2 Courts

• Library: A Guide to Legal Research in Virginia (Virginia CLE) (2017 Ed.)

4.2 COURTS

4.201 In General. The Virginia judicial system has four levels of courts including a supreme court, an intermediate court of appeals, and two levels of trial courts. The Supreme Court of Virginia is the commonwealth's "court of last resort" or highest court. The Court of Appeals is Virginia's intermediate appellate court. Virginia's trial courts include circuit courts and district courts. The district court system includes both general district and juvenile and domestic relations district courts. ¹

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Proceedings in all Virginia courts are governed by the Rules of the Supreme Court of Virginia. ² In addition, each court may have its own rules, which are usually accessible through the local court's website.

4.202 Supreme Court of Virginia. ³ The seven-member Supreme Court, which sits in Richmond, has original jurisdiction over writs of habeas corpus, mandamus, prohibition, ⁴ and actual innocence based on biological testing ⁵ as well as judicial censure and retirement matters. Appeal as a matter of right is available only in specified matters, such as State Corporation Commission, attorney discipline, and death penalty cases. Civil appeals from the circuit courts and all other cases are heard at the Court's discretion. By custom, all of the opinions of the Supreme Court are published. Orders are published at the discretion of the justices. In general...