{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-json\/48-1.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-text\/48-1.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-xml\/48-1.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-html\/48-1.html"}],"law_id":366444,"edition_id":2,"section_id":366444,"structure_id":52215,"section_number":"48-1","catch_line":"Investigation of complaint by special grand jury","history":"Code 1919, \u00a7 1520.","full_text":"When complaint is made to the circuit court of any county, or the corporation court of any city of this Commonwealth, by five or more citizens of any county, city or town, setting forth the existence of a public or common nuisance, the court, or the judge thereof in vacation, shall summon a special grand jury, in the mode provided by law, to the next term of such court, to specially investigate such complaint.\n\n","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":1364659,"text":"When complaint is made to the circuit court of any county, or the corporation court of any city of this Commonwealth, by five or more citizens of any county, city or town, setting forth the existence of a public or common nuisance, the court, or the judge thereof in vacation, shall summon a special grand jury, in the mode provided by law, to the next term of such court, to specially investigate such complaint.","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1}},"ancestry":[{"id":52215,"edition_id":2,"name":"Abating Public Nuisances Generally","identifier":"1","label":"chapter","depth":2,"order_by":1,"parent_id":52214,"metadata":{"child_laws":6,"child_structures":0},"date_created":"2026-08-02 02:56:11","date_modified":"2026-08-02 12:34:27","permalink":{"id":1460097,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":52215,"identifier":"1","token":"48\/1","url":"\/48\/1\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":52214,"edition_id":2,"name":"Nuisances","identifier":"48","label":"title","depth":1,"order_by":104,"parent_id":null,"metadata":{"child_laws":18,"child_structures":2},"date_created":"2026-08-02 02:56:11","date_modified":"2026-08-02 12:34:27","permalink":{"id":1460095,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":52214,"identifier":"48","token":"48","url":"\/48\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}}],"structure_contents":[{"id":366444,"structure_id":52215,"section_number":"48-1","catch_line":"Investigation of complaint by special grand jury","url":"\/48-1\/","token":"48\/1\/48-1","metadata":false},{"id":366454,"structure_id":52215,"section_number":"48-2","catch_line":"Presentment against person causing nuisance","url":"\/48-2\/","token":"48\/1\/48-2","metadata":false},{"id":366455,"structure_id":52215,"section_number":"48-3","catch_line":"Permitting continuation of nuisance; presentment against premises","url":"\/48-3\/","token":"48\/1\/48-3","metadata":false},{"id":366456,"structure_id":52215,"section_number":"48-4","catch_line":"Service of copy of presentment; defense by person interested","url":"\/48-4\/","token":"48\/1\/48-4","metadata":false},{"id":366457,"structure_id":52215,"section_number":"48-5","catch_line":"Fines and costs; judgment of abatement","url":"\/48-5\/","token":"48\/1\/48-5","metadata":false},{"id":366458,"structure_id":52215,"section_number":"48-6","catch_line":"Enforcement of judgment in rem","url":"\/48-6\/","token":"48\/1\/48-6","metadata":{"court_decisions":{"0":{"name":"Harris v. Com.","case_number":"090655","citation":"688 S.E.2d 279","date":"2010-01-15","url":"https:\/\/www.courtlistener.com\/opinion\/1058256\/harris-v-com\/","abstract":" .\u202f.\u202f. 688 S.E.2d 279 (2010) .\u202f.\u202f. ","court_html":"<abbr title=\"Supreme Court of Virginia\">SCV<\/abbr>"},"1":{"name":"Rodney Massie v. Commonwealth of Virginia","case_number":"0282214","citation":null,"date":"2022-02-08","url":"https:\/\/www.courtlistener.com\/opinion\/6347249\/rodney-massie-v-commonwealth-of-virginia\/","abstract":" .\u202f.\u202f. COURT OF APPEALS OF VIRGINIA .\u202f.\u202f. ","court_html":"<abbr title=\"Court of Appeals\">COA<\/abbr>"},"2":{"name":"Cilwa v. Commonwealth","case_number":"180885","citation":null,"date":"2019-12-12","url":"https:\/\/www.courtlistener.com\/opinion\/4686271\/cilwa-v-commonwealth\/","abstract":" .\u202f.\u202f. PRESENT: Lemons, C.J., Goodwyn, Mims, Powell, Kelsey, and Chafin, JJ., and Millette, S.J. .\u202f.\u202f. ","court_html":"<abbr title=\"Supreme Court of Virginia\">SCV<\/abbr>"},"3":{"name":" .\u202f.\u202f. Unsecured Creditors' Committee 82-00261c-11a v. Walter E. .\u202f.\u202f. ","case_number":"84-1626","citation":"768 F.2d 580","date":"1985-07-22","url":"https:\/\/www.courtlistener.com\/opinion\/455950\/unsecured-creditors-committee-82-00261c-11a-v-walter-e-heller-company\/","abstract":" .\u202f.\u202f. WIDENER, Circuit Judge, .\u202f.\u202f. ","court_html":"Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit"},"4":{"name":" .\u202f.\u202f. Virginia Manufacturers Association v. Ralph S. Northam, .\u202f.\u202f. ","case_number":"0316212","citation":null,"date":"2021-12-07","url":"https:\/\/www.courtlistener.com\/opinion\/5303844\/virginia-manufacturers-association-v-ralph-s-northam-governor-of\/","abstract":" .\u202f.\u202f. COURT OF APPEALS OF VIRGINIA .\u202f.\u202f. ","court_html":"<abbr title=\"Court of Appeals\">COA<\/abbr>"},"5":{"name":"Manchanda v. Hays Worldwide, LLC","case_number":"No. 1:14cv1339 (JCC\/TCB)","citation":"142 F. Supp. 3d 465","date":"2015-10-08","url":"https:\/\/www.courtlistener.com\/opinion\/7316598\/manchanda-v-hays-worldwide-llc\/","abstract":" .\u202f.\u202f. ORDER .\u202f.\u202f. ","court_html":"District Court, E.D. Virginia"},"6":{"name":"J. DeMasters v. Carilion Clinic","case_number":"13-2278","citation":"796 F.3d 409","date":"2015-08-10","url":"https:\/\/www.courtlistener.com\/opinion\/2826414\/j-demasters-v-carilion-clinic\/","abstract":" .\u202f.\u202f. Reversed and remanded by published opinion. Judge KRAUSE wrote the opinion, in which Judge AMBRO .\u202f.\u202f. ","court_html":"Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit"},"7":{"name":"Briggs v. Waters","case_number":"2:06CV154","citation":"455 F. Supp. 2d 508","date":"2006-10-03","url":"https:\/\/www.courtlistener.com\/opinion\/2427379\/briggs-v-waters\/","abstract":" .\u202f.\u202f. 455 F.Supp.2d 508 (2006) .\u202f.\u202f. ","court_html":"District Court, E.D. Virginia"},"8":{"name":"Brown v. Nucor Corp.","case_number":"08-1247","citation":"576 F.3d 149","date":"2009-08-07","url":"https:\/\/www.courtlistener.com\/opinion\/1188724\/brown-v-nucor-corp\/","abstract":" .\u202f.\u202f. AGEE, Circuit Judge, .\u202f.\u202f. ","court_html":"Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit"},"9":{"name":"United States v. Bell","case_number":"10-4644, 10-4651","citation":"667 F.3d 431","date":"2011-12-21","url":"https:\/\/www.courtlistener.com\/opinion\/619473\/united-states-v-bell\/","abstract":" .\u202f.\u202f. Vacated and remanded by published opinion. Judge DAVIS wrote the opinion, in which Judge FLOYD and .\u202f.\u202f. ","court_html":"Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit"}}}}],"next_section":{"id":366454,"structure_id":52215,"section_number":"48-2","catch_line":"Presentment against person causing nuisance","url":"\/48-2\/","token":"48\/1\/48-2","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/48-1\/","history_text":false,"references":[{"id":366454,"section_number":"48-2","catch_line":"Presentment against person causing nuisance","order_by":null,"url":"\/48-2\/"}],"refers_to":false,"permalink":{"id":1460099,"object_type":"law","relational_id":366444,"identifier":"48-1","token":"48\/1\/48-1","url":"\/48-1\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/48-1\/","token":"48\/1\/48-1","dublin_core":{"Title":"Investigation of complaint by special grand jury","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 48-1","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<section><p>When complaint is made to the <span class=\"dictionary\">circuit<\/span> <span class=\"dictionary\">court<\/span> of any county, or the corporation <span class=\"dictionary\">court<\/span> of any city of this Commonwealth, by five or more citizens of any county, city or town, setting forth the existence of a public or common nuisance, the <span class=\"dictionary\">court<\/span>, or the <span class=\"dictionary\">judge<\/span> thereof in vacation, shall summon a special <span class=\"dictionary\">grand jury<\/span>, in the mode provided by <span class=\"dictionary\">law<\/span>, to the next term of such <span class=\"dictionary\">court<\/span>, to specially investigate such complaint.<\/p><\/section>","plain_text":"                                 CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nINVESTIGATION OF COMPLAINT BY SPECIAL GRAND JURY (\u00a7 48-1)\n\nWhen complaint is made to the circuit court of any county, or the corporation\ncourt of any city of this Commonwealth, by five or more citizens of any county,\ncity or town, setting forth the existence of a public or common nuisance, the\ncourt, or the judge thereof in vacation, shall summon a special grand jury, in\nthe mode provided by law, to the next term of such court, to specially\ninvestigate such complaint.\n\nHISTORY: Code 1919, \u00a7 1520.","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"}}