Whenever a vacancy occurs or exists in the office of a judge of a circuit while the General Assembly is in session, or whenever the term of office of a judge of a circuit court will expire or the office will be vacated at a date certain between the adjournment of the General Assembly and the commencement of the next session of the General Assembly, a successor judge may be elected at any time during a session preceding the date of such vacancy, by the vote of a majority of the members elected to each house of the General Assembly, for a term of eight years and upon qualification, the successor judge shall enter at once upon the discharge of the duties of his office. However, such successor judge shall not enter upon the discharge of his duties prior to the commencement of his term of office. No person shall be elected or reelected to a subsequent term under this section until he has submitted to a criminal history record search and submitted to a search of the central registry maintained pursuant to § 63.2-1515 for any founded complaint of child abuse or neglect and reports of such searches have been received by the Chairmen of the House Committee for Courts of Justice and the Senate Committee on the Judiciary. No person with a criminal conviction for a felony shall be appointed as a judge. If the person has not met the requirement of filing in the preceding calendar year a disclosure form prescribed in § 2.2-3117 or 30-111, he shall also provide a written statement of economic interests on the disclosure form prescribed in § 2.2-3117 to the Chairmen of the House Committee for Courts of Justice and the Senate Committee on the Judiciary.
1973, c. 544, § 17-122.1; 1993, c. 368; 1998, c. 872; 2004, c. 452; 2018, c. 578.
Structure Code of Virginia
§ 17.1-500. Establishment of circuit courts
§ 17.1-503. Rules of practice and procedure; rules not to preclude judges from hearing certain cases
§ 17.1-505. Circuit court of county to constitute circuit court of certain cities
§ 17.1-507. Maximum number of judges; residence requirement; compensation; powers; etc.
§ 17.1-508. Judges in new or changed circuits; ratifying, validating and confirming certain actions
§ 17.1-509. Vacancies in office of judge
§ 17.1-510. Election of judge of new circuit; how court held meanwhile
§ 17.1-511. Investigation and certification of necessity before vacancies filled
§ 17.1-512. Election of successor judge before date of vacancy
§ 17.1-513. Jurisdiction of circuit courts
§ 17.1-513.01. Jurisdiction of circuit courts with respect to charitable assets
§ 17.1-513.1. Appeals from administrative proceedings; abuse and neglect; record to be sealed
§ 17.1-514. When plaintiff entitled to less than $100; judgment for defendant
§ 17.1-515. Jurisdiction formerly in county courts
§ 17.1-515.1. Territorial jurisdiction of the Circuit Court for the City of Lynchburg
§ 17.1-515.4. Designation of certain courtrooms within sixteenth circuit for trial of certain cases
§ 17.1-515.6. Concurrent law-enforcement jurisdiction over Joint Judicial Center in Winchester
§ 17.1-516. Jurisdiction of courts over certain waters
§ 17.1-517. Number of terms; how fixed
§ 17.1-518. Special terms; when, how and by whom appointed
§ 17.1-519. Adjournment thereof to a future day
§ 17.1-520. What tried at a special term
§ 17.1-521. Who to hold special term; powers
§ 17.1-522. Adjournment of special term