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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>366461</law_id><section_number>48-9</section_number><catch_line>When case to be tried; dismissal; substitution of complainant; costs</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2026/" slug="2026" current="TRUE" last_updated="2026-08-02">2026</edition><structure><unit label="title" level="1" order_by="104" identifier="48">Nuisances</unit><unit label="chapter" level="2" order_by="2" identifier="2">Houses of Prostitution, Etc.</unit></structure><text>
						<section><p>The suit when ready for <span class="dictionary">hearing</span> shall be tried at the first term of <span class="dictionary">court</span>, unless good cause for a <span class="dictionary">continuance</span> shall be shown, and in such suit oral <span class="dictionary">evidence</span> given in <span class="dictionary">court</span> of the general reputation of the place or criminal street gang as defined in &#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Definitions" href="/18.2-46.1/">18.2-46.1</a> shall be <span class="dictionary">admissible</span> for the purpose of proving or tending to prove the existence of such nuisance. If the complaint is filed by a citizen it shall not be dismissed by him before final <span class="dictionary">hearing</span>, except upon a sworn statement made by the complainant and his attorney, setting forth the reasons why the action should be dismissed, and the <span class="dictionary">dismissal</span> approved by the attorney for the Commonwealth, or the <span class="dictionary">Attorney General</span> of the Commonwealth, in writing or in open <span class="dictionary">court</span>. In any case, if the <span class="dictionary">court</span> is of the <span class="dictionary">opinion</span> that the suit ought not to be dismissed, it may direct the attorney for the Commonwealth to <span class="dictionary">prosecute</span> it to <span class="dictionary">judgment</span>; and if the suit is continued more than one term of <span class="dictionary">court</span>, any citizen or the attorney for the Commonwealth may be substituted for the complaining <span class="dictionary">party</span> and <span class="dictionary">prosecute</span> such suit to <span class="dictionary">judgment</span>. If the suit is brought by a citizen, and the <span class="dictionary">court</span> finds there was no reasonable ground or cause for said suit, the costs may be taxed against such citizen.</p></section></text><history>Code 1919, &#xA7; 1523; 2005, cc. 764, 813.</history><metadata><court_decisions><item key="0"><name>United States v. Turner</name><case_number>95-5594</case_number><citation></citation><date>1996-12-26</date><url>https://www.courtlistener.com/opinion/2966570/united-states-v-turner/</url><abstract> .&#x202F;.&#x202F;. PUBLISHED .&#x202F;.&#x202F;. </abstract><court_html>Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit</court_html></item><item key="1"><name> .&#x202F;.&#x202F;. United States v. Darlene Turner, United States of America v. .&#x202F;.&#x202F;. </name><case_number>95-5594, 95-5595</case_number><citation>102 F.3d 1350</citation><date>1996-12-26</date><url>https://www.courtlistener.com/opinion/731307/united-states-v-darlene-turner-united-states-of-america-v-dennis-turner/</url><abstract> .&#x202F;.&#x202F;. OPINION .&#x202F;.&#x202F;. </abstract><court_html>Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit</court_html></item><item key="2"><name>United States v. Sean Brehm</name><case_number>11-4755</case_number><citation>691 F.3d 547</citation><date>2012-08-10</date><url>https://www.courtlistener.com/opinion/2968825/united-states-v-sean-brehm/</url><abstract> .&#x202F;.&#x202F;. *549 .&#x202F;.&#x202F;. </abstract><court_html>Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit</court_html></item><item key="3"><name>United States v. Pebworth</name><case_number>95-5840</case_number><citation></citation><date>1997-04-29</date><url>https://www.courtlistener.com/opinion/2966645/united-states-v-pebworth/</url><abstract> .&#x202F;.&#x202F;. PUBLISHED .&#x202F;.&#x202F;. </abstract><court_html>Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit</court_html></item><item key="4"><name> .&#x202F;.&#x202F;. Floyd Sowards, Jr. v. Chesapeake and Ohio Railway Company, a .&#x202F;.&#x202F;. </name><case_number>77-2055</case_number><citation>580 F.2d 713</citation><date>1978-08-03</date><url>https://www.courtlistener.com/opinion/358274/floyd-sowards-jr-v-chesapeake-and-ohio-railway-company-a-corporation/</url><abstract> .&#x202F;.&#x202F;. PER CURIAM: .&#x202F;.&#x202F;. </abstract><court_html>Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit</court_html></item><item key="5"><name>Hyatt v. Shalala</name><case_number>89-2718</case_number><citation>6 F.3d 250</citation><date>1993-10-04</date><url>https://www.courtlistener.com/opinion/654219/hyatt-v-shalala/</url><abstract> .&#x202F;.&#x202F;. 6 F.3d 250 .&#x202F;.&#x202F;. </abstract><court_html>Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit</court_html></item><item key="6"><name>Palmer v. R. A. Yancey Lumber Corp.</name><case_number>Record 160664.</case_number><citation>803 S.E.2d 742</citation><date>2017-09-14</date><url>https://www.courtlistener.com/opinion/4426056/palmer-v-r-a-yancey-lumber-corp/</url><abstract> .&#x202F;.&#x202F;. PRESENT: All the Justices .&#x202F;.&#x202F;. </abstract><court_html><abbr title="Supreme Court of Virginia">SCV</abbr></court_html></item><item key="7"><name>Whitener v. McWatters</name><case_number>96-1515</case_number><citation>112 F.3d 740</citation><date>1997-04-30</date><url>https://www.courtlistener.com/opinion/2966643/whitener-v-mcwatters/</url><abstract> .&#x202F;.&#x202F;. PUBLISHED .&#x202F;.&#x202F;. </abstract><court_html>Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit</court_html></item><item key="8"><name>United States v. Branch</name><case_number>06-4257</case_number><citation>537 F.3d 328</citation><date>2008-08-20</date><url>https://www.courtlistener.com/opinion/1026476/united-states-v-branch/</url><abstract> .&#x202F;.&#x202F;. Affirmed by published opinion. Judge WILKINSON wrote the opinion, in which Judge FLOYD joined. Judge .&#x202F;.&#x202F;. </abstract><court_html>Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit</court_html></item><item key="9"><name>United States v. Curtis O'Neal</name><case_number>96-4188</case_number><citation>180 F.3d 115</citation><date>1999-06-02</date><url>https://www.courtlistener.com/opinion/2966990/united-states-v-curtis-oneal/</url><abstract> .&#x202F;.&#x202F;. *118 .&#x202F;.&#x202F;. </abstract><court_html>Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit</court_html></item></court_decisions></metadata></law>
