Courts do not have the discretion under § 19.2-354(C) to allow credit toward fines and costs for community service work performed by a person confined in a state or local correctional facility, including state detention centers and state diversion centers.

A political party may not conduct a raffle as a form of charitable gaming in the Commonwealth, as it is not an entity specifically chartered or organized for religious, charitable, community, or educational purposes.

A specific financing structure proposed for school construction that does not commit the city to make payments or appropriations, or to enter into any type of legal obligation, or to offer its full faith and credit will not constitute a debt of the city for purposes of the constitutional limitation on debt under Article VII, § 10(a) of the Virginia Constitution.

Based on the facts presented, the placement of a monument to the Emancipation Proclamation in a Fluvanna County park would not implicate § 15.2-1812.

Once a part-time Commonwealth's Attorney elects full-time status under the provisions of § 15.2-1629, the election is binding, and his successors in office cannot revert to part-time status.  

The Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services cannot lawfully issue a temporary or valid registration to teachers or other school personnel seeking appointment as armed special conservators of the peace with jurisdiction over public school grounds, as § 18.2-308.1 of the Code of Virginia limits possession of firearms on public school property for safety purposes to only those armed security personnel deemed to have met stringent training requirements, and such personnel do not include special conservators of the peace.  

Section 37.2-809 of the Code of Virginia authorizes the issuance of a temporary detention order lasting up to 72 hours in order to conduct a mental health examination and initiate stabilizing mental health treatment.  This order may only be extended by weekends, holidays or other dates on which the court is lawfully closed.  As used in this statute, the word "court” refers to the general district court within the relevant jurisdiction, and the phrase "lawfully closed” refers to days on which the court is not open for the transaction of business on any portion of the day.  In the interest of due process, the statute does not authorize the detention of an individual in a mental health facility beyond this 72-hour period without an involuntary civil commitment hearing. 

As divisions or agencies of local government for purposes of Virginia Code §§ 58.1-2900 and -2904, community services boards and behavioral health authorities are exempt from state electrical and natural gas consumption taxes.

While the State and Local Government Conflict of Interests Act does not prohibit a member of a county board of supervisors from remaining on the board while employed as director of the county public service authority, the board member must take care to follow the requirements of the Act to address the continuing risk of transactional conflicts by disqualification and/or disclosure as the need arises in either capacity.

The words "a dead body,” as used in Virginia Code § 18.2-323.02 punishing concealment of a dead body as a felony, do not include the remains of a human fetus that expired in utero.

Honorable Michael P. Mullin, Member, Virginia House of Delegates