Virginia

Effective Date:	September 1, 2002
State:	Virginia
Court Type:	Appellate
Implementing Authority:	Court of Appeals
Status:	Voluntary
Time Standards:	Muncipal Appeals (filing to opinion) 100% within 3 months Court of Appeals (filing of notice of appeal to conclusion) 75% within 280 days 95% within 1 year

Effective Date:	January 1, 1995
State:	Virginia
Court Type:	Trial
Case Type:	Civil
Implementing Authority:	Judicial Council of Virginia
Status:	Voluntary
Time Standards:	Regular (filing to conclusion) 90% within 12 months 98% within 18 months 100% within 24 months Limited Uncontested (filing to disposition) 95% within 60 days 100% within 120 days Limited Contested (filing to disposition) 90% within 90 days 100% within 120 days

Effective Date:	January 1, 1995
State:	Virginia
Court Type:	Trial
Case Type:	Criminal
Implementing Authority:	Judicial Council of Virginia
Status:	Voluntary
Time Standards:	Felony (arrest to conclusion) 90% within 120 days 98% within 180 days 100% within 1 year Preliminary Hearings (arrest to conclusion) 100% within 45 days Traffic and Misdemeanors (arrest or citation to conclusion) 90% within 60 days 100% within 90 days

Effective Date:	N/A
State:	Virginia
Court Type:	Trial
Case Type:	Juvenile
Implementing Authority:	N/A
Status:	Voluntary
Time Standards:	There are no comparable voluntary time guidelines for juvenile cases. Rather, a number of statutory provisions govern case processing intervals in cases of children in need of services (CHINS) and delinquency petition and warrants. These provisions can be found in Chapter 11 of Title 16.1 of the Code of Virginia. For example, after filing, a diversion or detention assessment should take place the next day or within 72 hours if the child has been detained. Va. Code § 16.1-248.1 and -250. If the juvenile is detained, transfer or preliminary hearing should take place within 21 days of detention (§ 16.1-277.1A); otherwise, the entire period from filing to disposition should be no longer than 120 days (§ 16.1-277.1B). If the juvenile court retains jurisdiction after this point, disposition should take place within 30 days. § 16.1-277.1C. Other relevant provisions pertaining to discovery, notice by Commonwealth's Attorney, Transfer Reports, etc. within the time frames above can be found in §§ 16.1-269.1,-273, and -274A. Relevant discovery rules are at 8:15 and 3A:11.


Monitoring Information:	Virginia documents court performance relevant to time standards by producing computer-generated reports with information compiled at both local and statewide levels. The magistrates, clerk of court, all judges, the AOC staff, and the Supreme Court members receive reports/summaries with time standards through the Annual State of the Judiciary Report. These reports/summaries are reviewed yearly. Case processing time standards reports are available to the public through the annual report.
Notes:	Virginia is considering the development of case processing time standards for juvenile courts. The time standards are viewed as voluntary guidelines or goals, not as mandatory "standards."