Source: http://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?121+ful+CHAP0802
Timestamp: 2019-01-19 05:53:09
Document Index: 746424546

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 8', '§ 17', '§ 8', '§ 8', '§ 8', '§ 15', '§ 42', '§ 16', '§ 20', '§ 27', '§ 20', '§ 17']

CHAPTER 802 An Act to amend and reenact §§ 8.01-391, 8.01-431, 15.2-1412, 17.1-213, 20-25, 27-42, and 32.1-69.1:1 of the Code of Virginia and to repeal §§ 17.1-209, 20-14.2, and 38.2-2411 of the Code of Virginia, relating to certain duties of the circuit court clerk. [H 1284] Approved April 18, 2012
1. That §§ 8.01-391, 8.01-431, 15.2-1412, 17.1-213, 20-25, 27-42, and 32.1-69.1:1 of the Code of Virginia are amended and reenacted as follows:
§ 8.01-391. Copies of originals as evidence.
D. If any business or member of a profession or calling in the regular course of business or activity has made any record or received or transmitted any document, and again in the regular course of business has caused any or all of such record or document to be copied, the copy shall be as admissible in evidence as the original, whether the original exists or not, provided that such copy is satisfactorily identified and authenticated as a true copy by a custodian of such record or by the person to whom said custodian reports, if they be different, and is accompanied by a certificate that said person does in fact have the custody. Copies in the regular course of business shall be deemed to include reproduction at a later time, if done in good faith and without intent to defraud. Copies in the regular course of business shall include items such as checks which are regularly copied before transmission to another person or bank, or records which are acted upon without receipt of the original when the original is retained by another party.
E. The original of which a copy has been made may be destroyed in the regular course of business unless its preservation is required by law, or its validity has been questioned.
E F. The introduction in an action of a copy under this section neither precludes neither the introduction or admission of the original nor the introduction of a copy or the original in another action.
F G. Copy, as used in this section, shall include photographs, microphotographs, photostats, microfilm, microcard, printouts or other reproductions of electronically stored data, or copies from optical disks, electronically transmitted facsimiles, or any other reproduction of an original from a process which forms a durable medium for its recording, storing, and reproducing.
§ 8.01-431. Judgment or decree by confession in pending suit.
In any suit a defendant may, whether the suit be is on the court docket or not, confess a judgment in the clerk's office for so much principal and interest as the plaintiff may be willing to accept a judgment or decree for. The same shall be entered of record by the clerk in the order book and be as final and as valid as if entered in court on the day of such confession. And the clerk shall enter upon the margin of such book opposite where such judgment or decree is entered, the date and time of the day at which the same was confessed, and the lien of such judgment or decree shall run from the time such judgment is recorded on the judgment lien docket of the clerk's office of the county or city in which land of the defendant lies. The clerk may require that a separate instrument be prepared setting forth the necessary information and shall record and index such instrument according to law.
§ 15.2-1412. Reproductions of records and documents and legal status thereof; destruction of originals.
Any locality may provide for the photographing or microphotographing, or the recording by any other process which accurately reproduces or forms a durable medium for reproducing the original of all or any part of the papers, records, documents or other material kept by or in the charge of any department, agency or institution of such locality in accordance with such standards and retention schedules as may be issued in pursuance of § 42.1-82.
A reproduction thereof if substantially the same size as the original, when satisfactorily identified, is as admissible in evidence as the original itself in any judicial or administrative proceeding whether the original is in existence or not, and an enlargement or facsimile of such reproduction is likewise admissible in evidence if the original reproduction is in existence and available for inspection under direction of the court. The introduction of a reproduced record, enlargement or facsimile, does not preclude admission of the original.
Whenever photographs or microphotographs have been made and put in conveniently accessible files, and provision has been made for preserving, examining and using the same, the locality may notify the Librarian of Virginia that it intends to destroy the records and papers so photographed or microphotographed, or any part thereof. If within sixty days the Librarian of Virginia has not notified the locality that such records or papers should be retained, the locality may destroy them. A locality may also, in its discretion, consult with the locality's librarian with reference to the advisability of destroying any such records, papers, documents or other material because of any historical significance or value.
With the approval of the judge of the circuit court entered of record, the clerk of the circuit court and the clerk of the district court, if directed to do so by the governing body, may microphotograph records in their respective offices which are not required for current use. No record so microphotographed shall be destroyed but may be stored in a safe place. The microphotograph or a certified copy thereof shall have the same force and effect as the original record.
B. The following records for cases ending on or after January 1, 1913, may be destroyed in their entirety at the discretion of the clerk of each circuit court after having been shall be retained for 10 years after conclusion:
C. All other records or cases ending on or after January 1, 1913, may be destroyed in their entirety at the discretion of the clerk of each circuit court shall be retained subject to the following guidelines:
1. All civil case files to which subsection D does not pertain may be destroyed after shall be retained 20 years from the court order date.
2. All criminal cases dismissed, including those not a true bill, acquittals, and not guilty verdicts, may be destroyed after shall be retained 10 years from the court order date.
3. All criminal case files involving a felony conviction and all criminal case files involving a misdemeanor conviction under § 16.1-253.2, 18.2-57.2, or 18.2-60.4 may be destroyed shall be retained (i) after 20 years from the sentencing date or (ii) when until the sentence term ends, whichever comes later.
§ 20-25. Persons other than ministers who may perform rites.
Any Upon petition filed with the clerk and payment of applicable clerk's fees, any circuit court judge may issue an order authorizing one or more persons, resident in the circuit in which the judge sits, to celebrate the rites of marriage in the Commonwealth. Any person so authorized shall, before acting, enter into bond in the penalty of $500, with or without surety, as the court may direct. Any order made under this section may be rescinded at any time.
§ 27-42. Definition of term "volunteer fire fighters.”
For the purposes of this article the term "volunteer fire fighters" shall include only members of any organized fire-fighting company which has in its possession and operates fire-fighting apparatus and equipment, whose members serve without pay and whose names have been duly certified by the secretary of such company as active members thereof to the clerk of the circuit court of the county or city as the case may be. The respective clerks shall keep a complete and accurate record of all names so certified in a book provided by the governing body of such county or city. Names shall be added to or stricken from such record upon the certificate of the secretary of any such company that such action has been decided by his organization in due form. are maintained on a list kept by the secretary of such company. It shall be the responsibility of the secretary of such company to (i) file the list with the office of the clerk of the circuit court where such company is located, (ii) keep the list of such members up to date, and (iii) file the updated list with the clerk in a timely manner. The clerk shall not be responsible to obtain the list or an updated list from the secretary of the fire-fighting company if the list is not filed with the clerk.
The Commissioner shall develop a publication concerning the role of folic acid in the prevention of birth defects for distribution to physicians, hospitals and other medical facilities, and local health departments for use with patients. Such information shall also be provided to the clerks of county and city circuit courts for inclusion in health information required to be furnished to applicants for marriage licenses, pursuant to § 20-14.2. The publication shall be distributed by the Virginia Department of Health to the offices of the clerks of the circuit courts and made available to applicants for marriage licenses.
2. That §§ 17.1-209, 20-14.2, and 38.2-2411 of the Code of Virginia are repealed.