Non-essential court proceedings suspended until April 6

Pursuant to an order dated March 16, 2020 of the Honorable Donald D. Lemons, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Virginia, all non-essential, non-emergency court proceedings in all courts are suspended until April 6, 2020 (21 days). This order includes almost all civil, traffic, and criminal matters, with limited exceptions for emergency matters, including, but not limited to, quarantine or isolation matters, arraignments, bail reviews, protective order cases, emergency child custody or protection cases, and civil commitment hearings.

Please be advised of the following:

  1. You should contact the Clerk’s Office of the Courts listed below to determine if your case has been suspended.
  2. If you are still required to appear, the following restrictions will apply:
  3. Only the required parties or subpoenaed witnesses should appear. The bailiffs at the front door will prohibit anyone else from entering the building.
  4. The bailiff will screen everyone who appears and may prohibit entrance if you have signs of illness or should otherwise be prevented from entering.
  5. All persons who enter the building will be required to use the hand sanitizer in the Courthouse lobby.
  6. All persons who enter the Courthouse shall, when possible, maintain a distance of 6 feet from all other persons.
  7. Where possible, the Courts will hold hearings by video or telephone.
  8. The Courts may impose further restrictions without notice.
  9. If you have any question, call the Court; do not appear in person.
  10. The licensing ceremony in the Juvenile Court originally scheduled for Thursday March 26, 2020 has been delayed until Thursday April 23, 2020 at 4:15.
  11. The 4-2-2020 Celebration in honor of Child Abuse Prevention Month has been postponed.

The Courts appreciate your cooperation and patience in these difficult times.  Let’s all work together to stay safe.

Bradley W. Finch, Circuit Court Judge

Erin J. DeHart, General District Court Judge

H. Lee Chitwood, J&DR Judge

The contact information for the Clerk’s Office of each Court is:

Circuit Court

540-980-7825

General District Court

540-980-7470
Juvenile and Domestic Relations

540-980-3822, ext. 3

Many Court-related forms can be accessed online at:  http://www.courts.state.va.us/forms/district/jdrcourt.html