Student Legal Services at Virginia Tech
Miscellaneous Information
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Miscellaneous |
VIRGINIA COURTS INFORMATION AND FORMSThe official website for the Virginia Judicial System provides useful information about the court system, official court forms in PDF format, a case information system, and more. (Note: When looking for case information for a Montgomery County case be sure to pick the correct division (Blacksburg or Christiansburg) where the trial will actually be.)
THE CODE OF VIRGINIAThe Virginia General Assembly provides a copy of the Virginia Code online . The Code is organized into "Titles" that cover broad subject areas such as Title 18.2 ("Crimes") and Title 46.2 ("Motor Vehicles"). Each title is subdivided into Chapters, Articles, and Sections. Laws that are codified often become chapters. For example, the Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act (VRLTA) has been codified as Chapter 13.2 of Title 55. The site also provides access to the status and text of proposed and enacted bills. The website provides a search engine for searching the text of the Virginia Code; however, you need to be careful in how you use the results. The engine will provide you specific code sections that contain your search terms, but the results won't reveal whether those sections actually apply to your specific situation or not. For example, if you searched for "security deposit," one of the hits would be code section 55-248.15:1 which, in part, generally requires landlords to return security deposits within 45 days. What is not revealed is that section 55-248.15:1 is part of the Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act and that section 55-248.5, which is also part of the act, exempts many rental situations from the requirements of the VRLTA. So if the house you were renting is exempt from the VRLTA, the 45-day rule in section 55-248.15:1 probably doesn't apply to your situation. When reading the code, be sure to look at the first few sections of the chapter and/or title you're reading. Definitions, statements of scope, and exemptions usually appear at the beginning. Definitions are especially important. For example many traffic and criminal laws apply to persons on a highway. Code section 46.2-100 defines "highway" as including every way or place open to the public for vehicular travel; thus, a privately-owned single-lane dirt road could be a highway if it is open to the public. Most people wouldn't think of such a road as being a highway. After reading the law, you should consult an attorney to make sure you really understand what the text means and whether it really applies to your situation or not.
NEW LAWSThe state legislature passed a number of new laws this year. In particular, House Bill 1876 adds a new code section, 46.2-1078.1, to be effective July 1, 2009, that prohibits the operator of a moving vehicle from texting or reading a text message or email. It is a secondary offense, which means that you must be stopped for some other offense (such as speeding) in order to be charged.
DISCLAIMER: The information provided on this website may not be current or valid. You must not rely on the information contained here without first speaking to a licensed attorney. Always speak to a licensed attorney regarding any legal issue you may have. |
This page is located at http://www.legal.sga.vt.edu/misc.htm.
This page was last updated June 29, 2009.