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Circuit Court ClerkGeneral Information
JudgesThe Chesterfield Circuit Court is served by five judges:
The Clerk of the Circuit Court is an elected official. The Clerk's Office is the administrative arm of the Circuit Court. Judges are ethically prohibited from out of court communications (written or oral). Therefore, questions as to any administrative process should be directed to the Clerk of the Circuit Court. FilingsFilings will not be accepted via the Internet, e-mail or fax. Filings are accepted via mail, courier or hand delivery.Inclement Weather Court ClosingsThe Circuit Court renders an essential service to the public; therefore, it is rare that the Court closes due to inclement weather. In addition, state law provides that the Circuit Court Clerk's Office may be closed only upon order of the Court. Therefore, in the event of inclement weather, the Court, not county administration, determines whether the Court and the Clerk's Office will be closed. Accordingly, please note that media announcements regarding inclement weather closings/delayed openings for Chesterfield County government offices do not apply to the Circuit Court or its Clerk's Office. Inclement weather closings will be announced through various media outlets. To confirm the operating hours of the Circuit Court Clerk's Office in the event of inclement weather, please call (804) 748-1241. Holiday Court ClosingsImportant Note: The holiday schedule is subject to expansion, depending upon decisions made by the County government, the Governor and/or the Court. In advance of all holiday closings, the Clerk's Office updates its after-hours telephone message (804-748-1241) to provide notice of the upcoming closing schedule. The Circuit Court Clerk's Office will be closed on the following days in 2008 in observance of holidays:
Location/Parking/Driving DirectionsLOCATION The Circuit Court Clerk's Office is on the first floor of the Chesterfield County Courts Building at 9500 Courthouse Road, Chesterfield, Virginia 23832. The Courts Building is located at the intersection of Ironbridge Road (Rt. 10) and Courthouse Road. The Courthouse is a large brick building with white columns and a circular drive. PARKING Parking is permitted in any area except those that are gated, marked “reserved,” or designated for jurors. There is no fee for parking. DRIVING DIRECTIONS From Hampton Roads Area 1. Take 64 West to Richmond. Take 95 South , then follow directions below. From Western Virginia 1. Take 64 East to Richmond. Take 95 South , then follow directions below. From Northern Virginia
Overview of the Circuit Court Clerk's OfficeThe Circuit Court Clerk, elected by the voters to serve an eight-year term, is one of five constitutional officers for Chesterfield County. The County's other constitutional officers include the Sheriff, the Commissioner of the Revenue, the Treasurer and the Commonwealth's Attorney. The Circuit Court Clerk is responsible for the administration of the Circuit Court through a variety of judicial, non-judicial and fiscal activities. Judicial functions include maintaining and processing all criminal and civil cases coming before the Court, including appeals from the Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court and the General District Court. Non-judicial functions include admitting wills to probate (to record), qualifying executors and/or administrators of estates, and appointing guardians and/or conservators over the estates of minors and incapacitated individuals. The Clerk is also the County Registrar of Deeds and as such, is responsible for recording all deeds, deeds of trust, powers of attorney and real estate liens and releases. Other transactions and recordings processed by the Clerk's Office include judgments, financing statements, business/fictitious name registrations, marriage licenses, concealed weapon permits, and a variety of appointments including ministers, notaries, and local Commission and Board members, and law enforcement officers. Fiscal transactions include the collection of court fines, real estate transfer fees, recordation taxes, and other fees authorized by statute. In addition, the Clerk's Office is responsible for the maintenance and investment of trust and condemnation funds. Overview of Virginia's Court SystemVirginia's court system includes the District Courts, consisting of the Juvenile and Domestic Relations District (J & DR) Court and the General District Court. These are courts of limited jurisdiction. The J & DR District Court handles cases involving delinquents, juveniles accused of traffic violations, child abuse, spousal abuse, support and custody matters involving minors, and children in need of services. The General District Court hears civil cases involving amounts up to $15,000, criminal cases involving misdemeanors, and traffic violations. Clerks of the J & DR and General District Courts are appointed by the Chief Judges of those respective courts. Final decisions of the District Courts may be appealed to the Circuit Court. Circuit Court appeals cases are heard de novo (i.e., completely new). Unlike Circuit Courts, District Courts do not conduct jury trials nor do they have jurisdiction to adjudicate felony cases. Instead the District Courts are limited to holding preliminary hearings for felony cases to merely establish probable cause. For cases involving monetary disputes between $4,500 and $15,000, General District Courts and Circuit Courts have concurrent jurisdiction. Some litigants choose to pursue legal action through the General District Court since the cost of filing suits is less than that in the Circuit Court. In addition, because forms for legal pleadings may be obtained from the General District Court and not the Circuit Court, some litigants find it more advantageous to file suit in the General District Court. Claims for less than $4,500 can be initiated only in General District Courts. For civil cases exceeding $15,000, the Circuit Court has exclusive original jurisdiction. In addition, Circuit Courts have jurisdiction to preside over all types of criminal cases, including felonies and misdemeanor charges certified by a grand jury. Circuit Courts also preside over chancery suits (or those claims seeking judgments for something other than money). These include, but are not limited to, the following: divorce proceedings; will, trust and estate matters; name changes; property disputes; adoption proceedings; employee grievances; administrative appeals (i.e., zoning, real estate assessment, etc.); and a variety of other actions. Circuit Court decisions may be appealed to the Court of Appeals or the Supreme Court of Virginia, depending on the type of case involved. Death penalty, lawyer disbarment, and most civil cases are appealed to the Supreme Court. While death penalty and lawyer disbarment cases are matters of right, civil appeals must be initiated by filing a petition for appeal. Traffic infractions, domestic relations and other criminal cases may be appealed from the Circuit Court to the Court of Appeals. General District Court/Juvenile and Domestic Relations District CourtIMPORTANT NOTE: Although the Circuit Court Clerk's Office and the General District Court Clerk's Office are both located on the first floor of the Courts Building, the two offices are completely separate. Questions or information requests regarding a General District Court case (e.g., civil suits involving small claims, traffic tickets, etc.) should be directed to the General District Court Clerk's Office. The General District Court Clerk's Office is open from 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding State holidays. Similarly, questions relating to cases in the Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court should be directed to that Clerk's Office. Contact information is provided below: General District CourtChesterfield General District Court Clerk's Office Juvenile and Domestic Relations District CourtChesterfield Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court
Clerk's Office Grand Jury/Docket Call/Case SchedulingThe Grand Jury convenes once every two months. Docket Call, to set cases for trial, is also held every two months on the same day as Grand Jury. The Grand Jury convenes on the third Monday of every odd-numbered month, except in January, when the Grand Jury convenes on Tuesday following the third Monday. Citizens summoned for Grand Jury service report to the Clerk's Office by 8:30 a.m. on Term Day. Criminal Docket Call begins at 9:00 a.m. Docket Call for Chancery cases appealed from the Juvenile & Domestic Relations District Court is held at 2:00 p.m. and Civil Docket Call is held at 2:30 p.m. Case delay reduction, the process of expeditiously bringing civil cases to trial or disposition, has been an on-going focus of the Clerk's Office. Strict docket control policies have been implemented to create a more streamlined docket that allows for earlier trial dates and greater access to the courts by the public. Accordingly, once a law case has matured, such case will be set for docket call. Criminal case scheduling: Criminal cases may be scheduled for trial through the Commonwealth's Attorney's Office or cases may be set at docket call. Law case scheduling: With mutual consent of counsel/litigants, civil cases may be scheduled for trial prior to docket call by contacting the appropriate judge's secretary. Chancery case scheduling: Juvenile appeals may be scheduled for trial prior to docket call by contacting the appropriate judge's secretary. Trials and/or hearings relating to any other chancery matter may be set by contacting the appropriate judge's secretary. Generally, civil court convenes at 10:00 a.m. and criminal court convenes at 9:00 a.m. Legal ResourcesClerk's Office personnel strive to provide the most efficient and effective service all customers. Although staff members are always willing to provide assistance, they are prohibited by law from providing legal advice, interpreting the law, or recommending legal action. It is not the intention of the Clerk's Office, or of this web site, to offer legal solutions. Questions regarding legal procedure or interpretation of the law should be directed to an attorney licensed in the Commonwealth of Virginia. For further information with regard to securing legal advice, please contact the Virginia Attorney Referral Service at 1-800-552-7977 or the Richmond area Legal Aid at (804) 648-1012. A Law Library, maintained by the Chesterfield County Public Library, is available for public use at the Central Library located at 9501 Lori Road. The Law Library can be reached directly by phone at (804) 751-4986. EmploymentThe Circuit Court Clerk's Office advertises job vacancies through Chesterfield County's vacancy listing. Click here to browse the County's current vacancy listing. Can't find what you need? |
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