Virginia. Circuit Court.

The Circuit Court was authorized by the Constitution of 1851 and established by an act of the General Assembly passed in May 1852. Courts were held twice yearly in each county, presided over by 21 judges who rode circuits in the area of their jurisdiction. The records were filed with County Court records. These courts were granted original jurisdiction concurrrent with that of the county courts, as well as appellate jurisdiction in all civil cases of more than fifty dollars and criminal cases not "expressly cognizable in some other court," including those involving loss of life. Beginning in 1873 they had exclusive jurisdiction over chancery cases. The Constitution of 1902 made no provision for the county courts, and original jurisdiction for almost all matters was transferred to the circuit courts beginning 1 February 1904. Likewise probate authority was transferred entirely to the circuit courts. On 15 March 1904 responsibility for recordation of deeds was also transferred to the circuit courts. The Circuit Court thus became the sole court of record for Virginia localities and became the repository of all local public records.

Prior to the establishment of the Circuit Court, the Circuit Superior Courts of Law and Chancery, established in 1831, were the upper courts on the local level. Sessions were held twice a year in each county, presided over by a General Court judge. The counties were grouped into districts for the convenience of the judge. This court's authority was the same as that of its predecessors, the Superior Courts of Law and the Superior Courts of Chancery. The Superior Court of Law was created in 1808. It met twice a year in each county, presided over by a circuit-riding General Court judge. Records were filed with the County Court. Sometimes this court was called Circuit Court, Circuit Court of Law, or Circuit Superior Court. The district courts were created by act of the General Assembly in 1788 and existed until their replacement by the Superior Court of Law in 1808. Created to alleviate the burden of increasing cases before the General Court, they met biannually in eighteen districts around the state and were presided over by two General Court judges. The records were kept locally by the court.

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