{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-json\/20-70.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-text\/20-70.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-xml\/20-70.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-html\/20-70.html"}],"law_id":353692,"edition_id":2,"section_id":353692,"structure_id":50639,"section_number":"20-70","catch_line":"No warrant of arrest to issue","history":"1944, p. 211; Michie Suppl. 1946, \u00a7 1937b; 1974, c. 464; 1975, c. 644; 2008, cc. 551, 691.","full_text":"Except as otherwise in this chapter provided, no warrant of arrest shall be issued by a magistrate against any person within the terms of this chapter, but all proceedings shall be instituted upon petition as aforesaid, provided that upon affidavit of the spouse or other person that there is reasonable cause to believe that the spouse or parent is about to leave the jurisdiction of the court with intent to desert the spouse, child or children, the court of, or any magistrate serving, the city or county may issue a warrant for the spouse or parent returnable before the court.\n\n","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":1317638,"text":"Except as otherwise in this chapter provided, no warrant of arrest shall be issued by a magistrate against any person within the terms of this chapter, but all proceedings shall be instituted upon petition as aforesaid, provided that upon affidavit of the spouse or other person that there is reasonable cause to believe that the spouse or parent is about to leave the jurisdiction of the court with intent to desert the spouse, child or children, the court of, or any magistrate serving, the city or county may issue a warrant for the spouse or parent returnable before the court.","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1}},"ancestry":[{"id":50639,"edition_id":2,"name":"Desertion and Nonsupport","identifier":"5","label":"chapter","depth":2,"order_by":7,"parent_id":50619,"metadata":{"child_laws":40,"child_structures":0},"date_created":"2026-08-02 02:30:33","date_modified":"2026-08-02 12:30:50","permalink":{"id":1405423,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":50639,"identifier":"5","token":"20\/5","url":"\/20\/5\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":50619,"edition_id":2,"name":"Domestic Relations","identifier":"20","label":"title","depth":1,"order_by":56,"parent_id":null,"metadata":{"child_laws":329,"child_structures":36},"date_created":"2026-08-02 02:30:08","date_modified":"2026-08-02 12:30:49","permalink":{"id":1405077,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":50619,"identifier":"20","token":"20","url":"\/20\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}}],"structure_contents":[{"id":353683,"structure_id":50639,"section_number":"20-61","catch_line":"Desertion or nonsupport of wife, husband or children in necessitous circumstances","url":"\/20-61\/","token":"20\/5\/20-61","metadata":false},{"id":353681,"structure_id":50639,"section_number":"20-61.1","catch_line":"Repealed","url":"\/20-61.1\/","token":"20\/5\/20-61.1","metadata":false},{"id":353682,"structure_id":50639,"section_number":"20-61.3","catch_line":"Consequences of a putative father failing to appear","url":"\/20-61.3\/","token":"20\/5\/20-61.3","metadata":false},{"id":353684,"structure_id":50639,"section_number":"20-62","catch_line":"Commitment to workhouse, city farm or work squad for such desertion","url":"\/20-62\/","token":"20\/5\/20-62","metadata":false},{"id":353685,"structure_id":50639,"section_number":"20-63","catch_line":"Support payments by county or city","url":"\/20-63\/","token":"20\/5\/20-63","metadata":false},{"id":353686,"structure_id":50639,"section_number":"20-64","catch_line":"Proceedings instituted by petition","url":"\/20-64\/","token":"20\/5\/20-64","metadata":false},{"id":353687,"structure_id":50639,"section_number":"20-65","catch_line":"Summons or warrant; 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Wills v. W. Neil Wills","case_number":"0144204","citation":null,"date":"2021-02-09","url":"https:\/\/www.courtlistener.com\/opinion\/4854921\/lisa-j-wills-v-w-neil-wills\/","abstract":" .\u202f.\u202f. COURT OF APPEALS OF VIRGINIA .\u202f.\u202f. ","court_html":"COA<\/abbr>"},"1":{"name":"Vinnedge v. Gibbs","case_number":"77-2248","citation":"571 F.2d 579","date":"1978-03-20","url":"https:\/\/www.courtlistener.com\/opinion\/353542\/vinnedge-v-gibbs\/","abstract":" .\u202f.\u202f. 571 F.2d 579 .\u202f.\u202f. ","court_html":"Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit"},"2":{"name":"Wills v. Wills (ORDER)","case_number":"210318","citation":null,"date":"2022-04-07","url":"https:\/\/www.courtlistener.com\/opinion\/6459328\/wills-v-wills-order\/","abstract":" .\u202f.\u202f. VIRGINIA: .\u202f.\u202f. ","court_html":"SCV<\/abbr>"},"3":{"name":"W. Neil Wills v. Lisa J. Wills","case_number":"0117204","citation":null,"date":"2021-02-09","url":"https:\/\/www.courtlistener.com\/opinion\/4854919\/w-neil-wills-v-lisa-j-wills\/","abstract":" .\u202f.\u202f. COURT OF APPEALS OF VIRGINIA .\u202f.\u202f. ","court_html":"COA<\/abbr>"},"4":{"name":"Arthur G. Kahn v. Eileen McNicholas","case_number":"0982164","citation":"67 Va. App. 215","date":"2017-01-31","url":"https:\/\/www.courtlistener.com\/opinion\/4343925\/arthur-g-kahn-v-eileen-mcnicholas\/","abstract":" .\u202f.\u202f. *220 .\u202f.\u202f. ","court_html":"COA<\/abbr>"},"5":{"name":"Chattin v. Chattin","case_number":"Record 920653","citation":"427 S.E.2d 347","date":"1993-02-26","url":"https:\/\/www.courtlistener.com\/opinion\/1262965\/chattin-v-chattin\/","abstract":" .\u202f.\u202f. 427 S.E.2d 347 (1993) .\u202f.\u202f. ","court_html":"SCV<\/abbr>"},"6":{"name":"Butler v. Butler","case_number":"Record 790350","citation":"277 S.E.2d 180","date":"1981-04-24","url":"https:\/\/www.courtlistener.com\/opinion\/1309919\/butler-v-butler\/","abstract":" .\u202f.\u202f. 277 S.E.2d 180 (1981) .\u202f.\u202f. ","court_html":"SCV<\/abbr>"},"7":{"name":"Gregory Warren Beaver v. J.D. Netherland, Warden","case_number":"95-4003","citation":"101 F.3d 977","date":"1996-11-12","url":"https:\/\/www.courtlistener.com\/opinion\/730846\/gregory-warren-beaver-v-jd-netherland-warden\/","abstract":" .\u202f.\u202f. *978AMENDED ORDER .\u202f.\u202f. ","court_html":"Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit"},"8":{"name":"Ford v. Purvis","case_number":"78-6321","citation":"584 F.2d 976","date":"1978-09-20","url":"https:\/\/www.courtlistener.com\/opinion\/360041\/ford-v-purvis\/","abstract":" .\u202f.\u202f. 584 F.2d 976 .\u202f.\u202f. ","court_html":"Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit"},"9":{"name":"Cogdell, in Re","case_number":"78-6586","citation":"588 F.2d 1347","date":"1978-12-20","url":"https:\/\/www.courtlistener.com\/opinion\/361969\/cogdell-in-re\/","abstract":" .\u202f.\u202f. 588 F.2d 1347 .\u202f.\u202f. 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The record of this law\u2019s original creation isn\u2019t available online. It has been modified 3 times. Those modifications are cataloged by \u201cThe Acts of Assembly,\u201d a state publication, by year and chapter. Those modifications that can be read on the General Assembly\u2019s website will be linked accordingly. Those modifications are as follows: in 1974, chapter 464; in 1975, chapter 644; in 2008, chapters 551<\/a> and 691<\/a>.<\/p>","references":false,"refers_to":false,"permalink":{"id":1405469,"object_type":"law","relational_id":353692,"identifier":"20-70","token":"20\/5\/20-70","url":"\/20-70\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/20-70\/","token":"20\/5\/20-70","dublin_core":{"Title":"No warrant of arrest to issue","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 20-70","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

Except as otherwise in this chapter provided, no warrant of arrest<\/span> shall be issued by a magistrate<\/span> against any person within the terms of this chapter, but all proceedings shall be instituted upon petition<\/span> as aforesaid, provided that upon affidavit<\/span> of the spouse or other person that there is reasonable cause to believe that the spouse or parent is about to leave the jurisdiction<\/span> of the court<\/span> with intent<\/span> to desert the spouse, child or children, the court<\/span> of, or any magistrate<\/span> serving, the city or county may issue<\/span> a warrant for the spouse or parent returnable before the court<\/span>.<\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nNO WARRANT OF ARREST TO ISSUE (\u00a7 20-70)\n\nExcept as otherwise in this chapter provided, no warrant of arrest shall be\nissued by a magistrate against any person within the terms of this chapter, but\nall proceedings shall be instituted upon petition as aforesaid, provided that\nupon affidavit of the spouse or other person that there is reasonable cause to\nbelieve that the spouse or parent is about to leave the jurisdiction of the\ncourt with intent to desert the spouse, child or children, the court of, or any\nmagistrate serving, the city or county may issue a warrant for the spouse or\nparent returnable before the court.\n\nHISTORY: 1944, p. 211; Michie Suppl. 1946, \u00a7 1937b; 1974, c. 464; 1975, c. 644;\n2008, cc. 551, 691.","edition":{"id":2,"name":"2026","slug":"2026","date_created":"2026-07-16 18:40:23","date_modified":"2026-08-02 15:14:36","current":1,"order_by":2,"last_import":"2026-08-02 12:37:30"}}