Virginia’s Circuit Courts are the only trial court of general jurisdiction in the Commonwealth. Circuit courts handle the following types of cases:
Civil Actions
- Where the monetary claim is over $4,500 but not exceeding $25,000, the circuit court has concurrent jurisdiction with the general district court
- Where monetary claims exceed $25,000, the circuit has exclusive original jurisdiction
- Attachments
- The validity of a county or municipal ordinance or corporate by-law
- Wills, trusts, and estate matters
- Property disputes
- Adoption
Criminal Cases
- All felonies, after the preliminary hearing and/or indictment by a grand jury
- Misdemeanor offenses that are appealed from the district court or originated from a grand jury indictment
- Transfer or certification of felony offenses committed by juveniles
Appeals
- Appeals from the general district or juvenile & domestic district courts; these appeals are heard de novo
- Appeals from administrative agencies
Circuit Courts also handle any case for which jurisdiction is not specified in the Code of Virginia.
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