Civil Government of Virginia / A Text-book for Schools Based Upon the Constitution of 1902 and Conforming to the Laws Enacted in Accordance Therewith

by William Fayette Fox

Qualifications. Same as those of a Circuit Judge. Terms. Held monthly except the month of August.

HUSTINGS is the name given to a court formerly held in many cities of England, and applied specially to a court held within the City of London before the Lord Mayor and other magistrates.

Jurisdiction. Exclusive original jurisdiction of all presentments, indictments, and informations for offences committed within the corporate limits (except prosecutions against convicts in the penitentiary); concurrent jurisdiction of all presentments, indictments, and informations for offences committed within the space of one mile beyond the corporate limits on the north side of the James River, and to low-water mark on the south side of James River; concurrent jurisdiction with the Circuit Court of the City of Richmond of actions of forcible or unlawful entry and detainer; exclusive jurisdiction of all appeals from the judgments of the Police Justice's Court, all causes removable from said court, all proceedings for the condemnation of land or property for public use, all motions to correct erroneous assessments.

CORPORATE LIMITS are the limits or boundaries of the area over which the corporation has jurisdiction. Here the phrase means the boundaries of the city of Richmond.

PROSECUTIONS AGAINST CONVICTS are prosecutions against convicts (prisoners) for crimes committed within the prison. All such crimes are tried in the circuit court of the city of Richmond.

CAUSES REMOVABLE FROM SAID COURT (police justice's court) are cases that may at the request of the parties concerned be taken out of that court and tried in another court.

The CONDEMNATION of land or property for public use means the deciding by a proper authority (a court or judge) that certain lands must be given for such use. (See page 12.)

An ASSESSMENT is the valuing of property for the purpose of fixing a tax upon it. If any owner of property in Richmond thinks the valuation of his property too high, and that therefore the tax is too high, he may object to the assessment as ERRONEOUS and have a motion brought before the Hustings Court to have the assessment CORRECTED.

Chancery Court of the City of Richmond.

Judge elected by the General Assembly for term of eight years.
Salary, $3,500.