Source: https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacodefull/title8.01/chapter14/article5/
Timestamp: 2019-11-18 05:57:25
Document Index: 405956594

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 8', '§ 8', '§ 8', '§ 8', '§ 16', '§ 46', '§ 46', '§ 19', '§ 8', '§ 8', '§ 19', '§ 8', '§ 8', '§ 53', '§ 53', '§ 8']

Code of Virginia Code - Article 5. Compelling Attendance of Witnesses, Etc
Table of Contents » Title 8.01. Civil Remedies and Procedure » Chapter 14. Evidence » Article 5. Compelling Attendance of Witnesses, Etc
Article 5. Compelling Attendance of Witnesses, Etc.
§ 8.01-407. How summons for witness issued, and to whom directed; prior permission of court to summon certain officials and judges.
A. A summons may be issued, directed as prescribed in § 8.01-292, commanding the officer to summon any person to attend on the day and at the place that such attendance is desired, to give evidence before a court, grand jury, arbitrators, magistrate, notary, or any commissioner or other person appointed by a court or acting under its process or authority in a judicial or quasi-judicial capacity. The summons may be issued by the clerk of the court if the attendance is desired at a court or in a proceeding pending in a court. The clerk shall not impose any time restrictions limiting the right to properly request a summons up to and including the date of the proceeding:
If attendance is desired before a commissioner in chancery or other commissioner of a court, the summons may be issued by the clerk of the court in which the matter is pending, or by such commissioner in chancery or other commissioner;
If attendance is desired before a notary or other officer taking a deposition, the summons may be issued by such notary or other officer at the instance of the attorney desiring the attendance of the person sought;
If attendance is sought before a grand jury, the summons may be issued by the attorney for the Commonwealth, or the clerk of the court, at the instance of the attorney for the Commonwealth.
Except as otherwise provided in this subsection, if attendance is desired in a civil proceeding pending in a court or at a deposition in connection with such proceeding, including medical malpractice review panels, and a claim before the Workers' Compensation Commission, a summons may be issued by an attorney-at-law who is an active member of the Virginia State Bar at the time of issuance, as an officer of the court. An attorney-issued summons shall be on a form approved by the Supreme Court, signed by the attorney and shall include the attorney's address. The summons and any transmittal sheet shall be deemed to be a pleading to which the provisions of § 8.01-271.1 shall apply. A copy of the summons and, if served by a sheriff, all service of process fees, shall be mailed or delivered to the clerk's office of the court in which the case is pending or the Workers' Compensation Commission, as applicable, on the day of issuance by the attorney. The law governing summonses issued by a clerk shall apply mutatis mutandis. When an attorney-at-law who is an active member of the Virginia State Bar transmits one or more attorney-issued subpoenas to a sheriff to be served in his jurisdiction, such subpoenas shall be accompanied by a transmittal sheet. The transmittal sheet, which may be in the form of a letter, shall contain for each subpoena (i) the person to be served, (ii) the name of the city or county in which the subpoena is to be served, in parentheses, (iii) the style of the case in which the subpoena was issued, (iv) the court in which the case is pending, and (v) the amount of fees tendered or paid to each clerk in whose court the case is pending together with a photocopy of either (a) the payment instrument and a photocopy of the letter sent to the clerk's office that accompanied such payment instrument or (b) the clerk's receipt. If copies of the same transmittal sheet are used to send subpoenas to more than one sheriff for service of process, then subpoenas shall be grouped by the jurisdiction in which they are to be served. For each person to be served, an original subpoena and copy thereof shall be included. If the attorney desires a return copy of the transmittal sheet as proof of receipt, he shall also enclose an additional copy of the transmittal sheet together with an envelope addressed to the attorney with sufficient first class postage affixed. Upon receipt of such transmittal, the transmittal sheet shall be date-stamped and, if the extra copy and above-described envelope are provided, the copy shall also be date-stamped and returned to the attorney-at-law in the above-described envelope.
However, when such transmittal does not comply with the provisions of this section, the sheriff may promptly return such transmittal if accompanied by a short description of such noncompliance. An attorney may not issue a summons in any of the following civil proceedings: (a) habeas corpus under Article 3 (§ 8.01-654 et seq.) of Chapter 25 of this title, (b) delinquency or abuse and neglect proceedings under Article 3 (§ 16.1-241 et seq.) of Chapter 11 of Title 16.1, (c) civil forfeiture proceedings, (d) habitual offender proceedings under Article 9 (§ 46.2-351 et seq.) of Chapter 3 of Title 46.2, (e) administrative license suspension pursuant to § 46.2-391.2, and (f) petition for writs of mandamus or prohibition in connection with criminal proceedings. A sheriff shall not be required to serve an attorney-issued subpoena that is not issued at least five business days prior to the date that attendance is desired.
In other cases, if attendance is desired, the summons may be issued by the clerk of the circuit court of the county or city in which the attendance is desired.
A summons shall express on whose behalf, and in what case or about what matter, the witness is to attend. Failure to respond to any such summons shall be punishable by the court in which the proceeding is pending as for contempt. When any subpoena is served less than five calendar days before appearance is required, the court may, after considering all of the circumstances, refuse to enforce the subpoena for lack of adequate notice. If any subpoena is served less than five calendar days before appearance is required upon any judicial officer generally incompetent to testify pursuant to § 19.2-271, such subpoena shall be without legal force or effect unless the subpoena has been issued by a judge.
B. No subpoena shall, without permission of the court first obtained, issue for the attendance of the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, or Attorney General of this Commonwealth, a judge of any court thereof; the President or Vice President of the United States; any member of the President's Cabinet; any ambassador or consul; or any military officer on active duty holding the rank of admiral or general.
Code 1950, §§ 8-296, 8-297; 1952, c. 122; 1977, c. 617; 1992, c. 506; 2000, c. 813; 2002, c. 463; 2004, c. 335; 2007, c. 199; 2010, cc. 302, 486; 2016, c. 173; 2019, c. 519.
§ 8.01-408. Recognizance taken upon continuance of case.
Upon the continuance of any civil case in a court, the court shall at the request of any party litigant require such party's witnesses then present to enter into recognizance in such penalty as the court may deem proper, either with or without security, for their appearance to give evidence in such case on such day as may then be fixed for the trial thereof, such recognizance to be taken, conditioned, and entered of record in the same manner provided in §§ 19.2-135 to 19.2-137, for taking recognizance.
Code 1950, § 8-298; 1977, c. 617.
§ 8.01-410. Inmates as witnesses in civil actions.
Whenever any party in a civil action in any circuit court in this Commonwealth requires as a witness in his behalf, an inmate in a state or local correctional facility as defined in § 53.1-1, the court, on the application of such party or his attorney may, in its discretion and upon consideration of the importance of the personal appearance of the witness and the nature of the offense for which he is imprisoned, issue an order to the Director of the Department of Corrections to deliver such witness to the sheriff of the jurisdiction of the court issuing the order. If authorized by the court, the clerk of the circuit court or a deputy clerk may issue these orders on behalf of the court. The sheriff shall transport the inmate to the court to testify as such witness, and after he has testified and been released as such witness, the sheriff shall return the witness to the custody of the Department.
If necessary the sheriff may confine the inmate for the night in any convenient local correctional facility.
Under such rules and regulations as the superintendent of such an institution may prescribe, any party to a civil action in any circuit court in this Commonwealth may take the deposition of an inmate in the facility, which deposition, when taken, may be admissible in evidence as other depositions in civil actions.
The party seeking the testimony of such inmate shall advance a sum sufficient to defray the expenses and compensation of the correctional officers and sheriff, which the court shall tax as other costs.
For the purposes of this section, "correctional officers" shall have the same meaning as provided in § 53.1-1.
Code 1950, § 8-300.1; 1952, c. 487; 1966, c. 227; 1974, cc. 44, 45; 1977, c. 617; 1998, c. 596; 2001, c. 513; 2002, cc. 515, 544.