Contact Us

More Information on the Judges of the Circuit Court

 

Address: 

John Marshall Courts Building
400 North 9th Street
Richmond, VA 23219

 

Days of Operation:        Monday - Friday

Hours:                              8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Recording Hours:           8:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Marriage Licenses:         8:30 a.m. - 4:15 p.m.

 

Phone:

General Info (804) 646-6505
Marriage License (804) 646-6767
Jury Duty Line (804) 646-0802
Jury Question Line (804) 646-6501
Criminal Section  (804) 646-6553
Fax: (804) 646-6562
Civil Section: (804) 646-6536
Fax: (804) 646-7274
Probate (804) 646-6540
Record Room (804) 646-6530

General Information

The Criminal Division of the Circuit Court handles all felony and misdemeanor cases originating by Grand Jury action, as well as misdemeanor appeals from the General District and Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Courts. Traffic infractions are handled by the General District Court, which is a separate entity with its own Clerk's Office. Only when traffic cases are appealed from the General District or Juvenile & Domestic Relations District Court do they fall under the jurisdiction of the Circuit Court. Therefore, before contacting the Circuit Court to inquire about the status of a traffic infraction case or pre-payment of a traffic fine, it is important to ascertain beforehand which Court has jurisdiction. This will prevent any unnecessary delay in processing. Unlike the District Courts that have separate traffic dockets, the Circuit Court integrates traffic infraction appeals into its criminal docket.

Fines, Court Costs and Payment Instructions

When an individual is convicted of a felony or misdemeanor in the Circuit Court, court-imposed fines and/or court costs will be assessed against the defendant. All court costs are assessed in accordance with the Code of Virginia. Fines and costs are due at the time of sentencing unless the defendant enters into a payment plan agreement approved by the Court.

All unpaid costs and fines are eligible for an Installment or Deferred Payment Agreement.   Deferred payment of fines and costs, restitution payments and community service credits will be made in accordance with the Court’s Order.  Restitution payments are to be made in accordance with the Court’s Order for Restitution.  Any sums collected shall be used first to satisfy such restitution order and any collection costs associated with restitution prior to being used to satisfy any fine, forfeiture, penalty, or costs assessed against a defendant.

Effective July 1, 2013, accounts which initially become delinquent and transmit to collections on or after July 1, 2013 will be assessed a fee (currently 17% of the judgment principal) to help defray the expense associated with outside collection efforts. The Clerk cannot remove, reduce, or alter this fee.

All accounts delinquent more than 90 days, or in default of a payment agreement will be reported to the Department of Taxation, the State Compensation Board, the Attorney for the Commonwealth, and the Court’s Collection Agent.  In addition, a collection fee currently 17% of the principal balance due will be applied to the account.      

A judgment will be entered against the defendant and interest will accrue on the balance due. A judgment is entered on all convictions that are not paid the same day. All judgments will be docketed against real estate, thereby creating a lien on the defendant's real property in the land records.

Payment Instructions

Payments for fines and/or court costs are accepted Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., excluding holidays. Payments may be made in person in the Circuit Court Clerk's Office, on the Virginia Judiciary Online Payment System (VJOPS) by clicking on the Online Payments tab above or via the mail. Payment can be made via a personal check with proper ID, Visa, MasterCard, Discover Card, American Express, money order, or cash. Please note credit card payments cannot be made by phone.  Payments on accounts which have been referred to collections must be made at the office of the collections agent, Parrish and Lebar, LLP, 5 East Franklin St., Richmond, VA 23219, (804)788-4721.

When paying by personal check or credit card, individuals must provide a form of identification (i.e., a driver's license or picture ID). Credit card account holder must be present. Checks should be made payable to Edward F. Jewett, Clerk. Money orders, certified checks and cashier's checks are also acceptable methods of payment.

Always indicate clearly the case number and defendant's name that payment is to be applied to. This is very important if there are multiple accounts for the same defendant. In addition, please include the defendant's name and case number on all checks or money orders for proper credit. Never send cash payments via mail.

Notice of Payment Alternatives for Fines and Costs

Pursuant to §19.2-354 and §19.2-354.1 of the Code of Virginia

If you are unable to pay fines and costs for the offense(s) of which you were convicted, the Court offers you the opportunity to enter an alternative payment plan. 

Terms and Conditions: deferred payment, modified deferred payment, and installment plans (NOTICE PURSUANT TO §19.2-354 AND §19.2-354.1)

Definitions:

“Deferred payment agreement” – no installment payments are required but you agree to pay the full amount of the fines and costs at the end of the set term.

“Fines and costs” – all fines, court costs, forfeitures, and penalties assessed by a single court in a case involving the commission of a crime or traffic infraction; this includes restitution unless the court orders a separate payment schedule for restitution.

“Installment payment agreement” – an agreement to make monthly or other periodic payments until fines and costs are paid in full.

“Modified deferred payment agreement” – a deferred payment agreement in which you also agree to use your best efforts to make monthly or other periodic payments.

As a condition of any agreement, you are required to inform the Court promptly of any change of your mailing address.

Pursuant to §19.2-354(A), the Court has authorized the Clerk’s office to approve the following two plans that are available to everyone regardless of financial need: 1) A Deferred Payment Agreement that you will pay all outstanding fees and costs within 6 months or 2) an Installment Payment Agreement that you will pay a minimum of $50.00 a month towards your fines and costs.  To request that the Clerk’s office provide you with one of those two payment agreements, please fill in the request form and sign the Payment Agreement presented to you by the Deputy Clerk (form CC-1379).

To request that the Court grant you permission to enter a payment agreement under different terms, please file the form motion.  You must also file the DC-211 form.  After filing the form and your DC-211, you must contact the Clerk’s office at (804)646-6553 within five to seven days to learn the decision of the Court or you risk possible default. Once you receive confirmation your motion was granted, you will sign the Payment Agreement (form CC-1379).  The Court may not deny you the opportunity to enter into a deferred payment, modified deferred payment, or installment payment plan solely (i) because of the category of offense for which you were convicted or found not innocent, (ii) because of the total amount of all fines and costs, (iii) because you previously defaulted under the terms of a payment agreement, (iv) because the fines and costs have been referred to collections, or (v) because you have not established a payment history.  In determining the length of time allowed for you to pay under one of these agreements, the Court will consider your financial resources and obligations, including any fines and costs you may owe to other courts.  To assess your ability to pay, the Court will use the DC-211 form you submitted with your application form.  In the rarer circumstance that this request occurs during a court proceeding, the Court will conduct an in-court oral examination of you to determine your resources and obligations.  The Court will set an agreement with a reasonable length and reasonable payment amounts given your financial resources and obligations.  The Court may offer a payment agreement which combines an initial period in which no payment is required followed by a period of installment payments.  On a first agreement, the Court will not require you to make a down payment.  On a subsequent payment agreement, the Court may require a down payment.  You are permitted to make a down payment if you wish. All the fines and costs you owe this Court may be incorporated into a single agreement.  A payment agreement is only permitted to include outstanding fines and costs for which the limitation period has not run.

Grace period: Any payment made within ten days of the due date shall be considered to have been timely made.

NOTICE UNDER §19.2-354(D): If you fail to make any ordered payment within the grace period, you may be fined or imprisoned pursuant to §19.2-358.

NOTICE OF POTENTIAL TO DEFAULT:  If you do not pay the balance in full or enter a payment agreement with the Court you will be in default.  If you do not make timely payments as ordered by the Court, you will be in default.  If you default, action may be taken against you in accordance with §19.2-349 (see §19.2-354(E)).

At any time during the duration of an agreement, you may request a modification to the agreement by filing a DC-211 form.  The Court may choose to grant your request based on a good faith showing of need.  If you have defaulted on a payment agreement, you may petition the Court for a subsequent payment agreement.  The Court will consider any change to your circumstances.  The Court may require a down payment as a condition of permitting a subsequent payment agreement that may not exceed (i) 10% of the amount owed if the amount owed is $500.00 or less or (ii) 5% of the amount owed or $50, whichever is greater, if the amount owed is more than $500.00. 

Community Service Program (Established pursuant to §19.2-354(C))

If you ARE NOT INCARCERATED:

You may apply to the Court for permission to apply community service hours towards your fines and costs using the form motion.  If the Court grants your request, you must perform a minimum of 5 community service hours per month, unless the Court’s Order specifies otherwise, at an organization receiving 501(c)(3) status through the Internal Revenue Service. The Court will give you credit for your community service hours at the rate of the current minimum wage in the Commonwealth at the time the work was performed. 

You must complete sufficient community service hours to discharge your fines and costs within one year unless a longer period is specified by the Court in its order on your motion.  If you have not fully discharged your fines and costs within the period allowed, you must either pay the remaining amount or receive approval for a new payment plan before the deadline is passed.

NOTICE OF POTENTIAL TO DEFAULT:  If you do not either pay the balance in full or enter a new payment plan before the deadline imposed by the Court, you will be in default.  If you default, action may be taken against you in accordance with §19.2-349 (see §19.2-354(E)). After filing your form motion, you must contact the Clerk’s office at (804)646-6553 within five to seven days to learn the decision of the Court to avoid possible default.

If your motion is granted, you must submit your community service hours as follows:

Þ After you have completed your community service hours for each month, you must file with the Clerk of this Court an original letter (not a copy) on the letter head of a non-profit organization with 501(c)(3) status.  Failure to meet your monthly requirement could result in the termination of your approval for community service.

Þ The final letter must be filed no later than one year from the date of the Order granting you permission to use community service hours for your fines and costs.  If the Court granted you a longer period for the performance of your community service hours in the Order, the letter must be submitted prior to that deadline.

Þ Each letter must certify your daily hours for each of your dates of service.

Þ Each letter must contain the name, contact information, and signature of a representative of the non-profit organization who supervised your community service hours.

Þ You must sign each letter in front of a notary public, or you must return to the Clerk’s Office in person to swear an oath that everything contained in the letter is accurate and true.

If you ARE INCARCERATED:

These categories of work qualify as community service under §19.2-354(C)(ii):

  • Work performed as required by a community corrections alternative program pursuant to §19.2-316.4 (CCAP).
  • Work performed building or maintaining the roads or performing public works approved by the Director pursuant to §53.1-59.
  • Work performed during work release from a state prison pursuant to §53.1-60 or work release from a local jail pursuant to §53.1-131.
  • Work performed at a local jail that was authorized by a circuit or district court pursuant to §53.1-128.
  • Work performed pursuant to a workforce program of a local jail that was authorized by the local governing body pursuant to §53.1-129.
  • Other types of work you may have performed while incarcerated (like work for the facility) are not eligible for application towards fines and costs.

If you are performing that work, you may request the work be applied towards your fines and costs by filing the form motion along with an original letter from the jail, prison, or community corrections alternative program (CCAP) sponsoring the qualifying work program.  The letter must certify the hours and dates and type work or certify that the accompanying documentation of the hours and dates and type of work are true and accurate.  The letter must contain the name, contact information, and signature of the employee providing the original letter.  The Court will review your motion and documentation and issue an order granting or denying your motion.  If your motion is granted, the Court will give you credit at the hourly rate of the minimum wage for the Commonwealth for the year in which the work was performed subtracting from that hourly rate any wage you received for your work.

 

Subpoenas and Subpoenas Duces Tecum

Subpoena requests in felony or misdemeanor appeal cases should be delivered or mailed to the Circuit Court Clerk's Office. A letter specifying the request must be provided. In order to allow adequate time for the preparation of a subpoena, a lead-time of five days from the date of service is requested. There is no fee for issuance of witness subpoenas. For a subpoena duces tecum, a $17.00 fee must be remitted along with the request. The following information must be included in a request for a subpoena:

  • Defendant's full name
  • Circuit Court case number
  • Certificate of service on opposing counsel
  • Any subpoenas that should be served by a Sheriff in another county will be forwarded to that Sheriff by the Clerk's Office.

In addition to the above information, a request for a subpoena duces tecum must contain the following:

  • Name and address of person/place with custody of the records
  • Specific description of the records that are being subpoenaed
  • Date the records must be produced in the Clerk's Office (NOTE: These records must be made returnable to the Clerk's Office, not an attorney's office.)

 

NOTE: If a witness subpoena or subpoena duces tecum needs to be served on a person or an entity outside of Virginia the requesting party should follow procedures for a Foreign Witness, as provided in Code of Virginia § 19.2-272, et seq.