Verified Document

Common Law Traditions Essay

Virginia's State Court System The state of Virginia's court system is structure in a way that is similar to, though not identical to, the federal court system in the United States. "The present system consists of four levels of courts: the Supreme Court, the Court of Appeals, the circuit courts, and the district courts. In addition, magistrates serve as judicial officers with authority to issue various types of processes. The courts are organized into 31 judicial circuits and 32 similar judicial districts" (State of Virginia, 2011). As with most U.S. court systems, review moves upwards from the lowest level of courts (the trial courts) to the Supreme Court level.

The most basic trial court in Virginia is the magistrate court. "A principal function of the magistrate is to provide an independent, unbiased review of complaints brought to the office by police officers, sheriffs, deputies, and citizens. Magistrate duties include issuing various types of processes such as arrest warrants, summonses, bonds, search warrants, subpoenas, emergency mental and medical custody orders, temporary mental and medical detention orders, emergency protective orders and other civil processes" (State of Virginia, 2011). Magistrates set bail and...

"The General District Court hears all criminal cases involving misdemeanors under state law and offenses that are violations of ordinances, laws, and by-laws of the county or city where it is located. A misdemeanor is any charge which carries a penalty of up to one year in jail or a fine of up to $2,500, or both" (State of Virginia, 2011. Criminal jurisdiction also extends to traffic infractions that involve points on a license. In addition, the general district courts hear civil cases with an amount in controversy of $25,000 or less, with a special section for small-claims cases. Juvenile and Domestic Relations Courts hear cases involving juveniles, from criminal cases to family law cases. Another trial-court level in Virginia is the circuit courts. They have jurisdiction over civil actions with monetary claims over $4,500, attachments, cases questioning the validity of laws, divorces, wills and estates, property disputes, felonies, misdemeanor appeals, misdemeanors originating from a grand jury indictment, juveniles tried as adults, appeals from the district courts, and appeals from administrative agencies (State of Virginia, 2011).
"The Court of Appeals of Virginia provides…

Sources used in this document:
References

Office of Court Administration. (2013, April 12.). Court structure of Texas. Retrieved May 20,

2013 from Texas Courts Online website: http://www.courts.state.tx.us/

State of Virginia. (2011, July). Virginia courts in brief. Retrieved May 20, 2013 from State of Virginia website: http://www.courts.state.va.us/courts/cib.pdf
Cite this Document:
Copy Bibliography Citation

Related Documents

Common Law Traditions
Words: 724 Length: 2 Document Type: Essay

law tradition -- followed by most Western nations and others as well -- was originated in England during the Middle Ages, according to the School of Law at the University of California at Berkeley. While the common law tradition became part of civil law in England, it was carried across the Atlantic by the first European settlers in the New World. Generally speaking the common law concept is based

Law of Purchasing and Supply
Words: 758 Length: 2 Document Type: Case Study

Law of Purchasing Supply What constitutes a contractual 'offer' according to English law? Your report should include references to common law, statute law, and European Union Law where appropriate. A contractual offer is when two parties display a willingness to enter into a contract. They understand that it will be binding once the offeree accepts the agreement. When a party is requested to offer a contract, this invitation to treat can be

Law and Business When Glenn
Words: 5286 Length: 20 Document Type: Assessment

During this Diaspora, the African Slave Trade transferred 9-12 million people from one continent to another with major repercussions on cultural and political traditions in the New World. There have been a number of modern Diasporas based on the post-Cold War world in which huge populations of refugees migrated from conflict, especially from developing countries (Southeast Asia, China, Afghanistan, Iran, Latin America, South American, Rwanda, etc.). Part 1.2.1 - Civil

Law Enforcement Contact With Arab Americans and Other Middle Eastern...
Words: 2434 Length: 8 Document Type: Essay

Law Enforcement Contact With Arab SENSORY INDOOR/OUTDOOR ENVIRONMENT Law Enforcement Contact with Arab-Americans and Other Middle Eastern Groups Chapter eight is a very diverse chapter. It explores everything from describe the historical background of the Arab-Americans to displaying the demographics of Arab-American populations. It also goes in detail to mention the diversity that is within the Arab-American and other Middle Eastern communities in the United States. Other areas that this chapter sheds light

Law in Ancient Times: Comparison
Words: 2944 Length: 8 Document Type: Term Paper

If the purpose of law is to maintain the order of society yielding the best possible circumstance for each individual man, woman, and child, then the argument arises as to whether such direct revenge is actually conducive to preventing further disorders. Revenge can easily run in endless cycles, and fear of punishment may not in and of itself be any deterrent at all, in particular if the act which is

Legal Traditions in American Law.
Words: 852 Length: 2 Document Type: Essay

Common-law judges rely on their predecessors' decisions of actual controversies, rather than on abstract codes or texts, to guide them in applying the law" (Common law, 2008, law library). The law evolves with custom and interpretation, rather than remains fixed in stone. Common law may be contrasted with civil law, which predominates in France and has had less influence on the law of the United States, except in Louisiana. Louisiana

Sign Up for Unlimited Study Help

Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.

Get Started Now