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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>350168</law_id><section_number>17.1-518</section_number><catch_line>Special terms; when, how and by whom appointed</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2026/" slug="2026" current="TRUE" last_updated="2026-08-02">2026</edition><referred_to_by><reference>17.1-519</reference></referred_to_by><structure><unit label="title" level="1" order_by="50" identifier="17.1">Courts of Record</unit><unit label="chapter" level="2" order_by="5" identifier="5">Circuit Courts</unit><unit label="article" level="3" order_by="1" identifier="1">Establishment; Jurisdiction; Etc</unit></structure><text>
						<section><p>If any term of a <span class="dictionary">circuit</span> <span class="dictionary">court</span> is to end, or has ended, without the dispatch of all its business or if there be a failure to hold any term or it is expedient in the <span class="dictionary">opinion</span> of the <span class="dictionary">judge</span> of the <span class="dictionary">court</span> to hold a special term for the <span class="dictionary">trial</span> of any cause pending in such <span class="dictionary">court</span> or of <span class="dictionary">issues</span> made up in any cause by consent of parties, or if the situation of a person confined in jail for <span class="dictionary">trial</span> in such <span class="dictionary">circuit</span> <span class="dictionary">court</span> makes it proper that his case should be disposed of before the next regular term thereof, or necessity in the <span class="dictionary">judge</span>&#x2019;s <span class="dictionary">opinion</span> requires it, the <span class="dictionary">judge</span> of such <span class="dictionary">circuit</span> <span class="dictionary">court</span> or, if he is dead or is unable from any cause to hold his <span class="dictionary">court</span>, the <span class="dictionary">judge</span> of any other <span class="dictionary">circuit</span> <span class="dictionary">court</span> who has been designated to hold such terms, may, by <span class="dictionary">order</span> entered in such <span class="dictionary">court</span> or by a warrant directed to the clerk, appoint a special term thereof and prescribe in such <span class="dictionary">order</span> or warrant whether any <span class="dictionary">venire</span> is to be summoned to attend the term. The clerk shall inform the attorney for the Commonwealth and the sheriff of such appointment, post a copy of the warrant or <span class="dictionary">order</span> at the front door of the courthouse and <span class="dictionary">issue</span> all proper process to such special term and the sheriff shall execute the process.</p></section></text><history>Code 1919, &#xA7; 5894, &#xA7; 17-129; 1973, c. 544; 1998, c. 872.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
