W.D. Va. Gen. R. 2

(a) Divisions. The divisions of this Court are as follows.

(1) Abingdon Division. The Abingdon Division embraces the counties of

Smyth, Tazewell, Russell, Washington, Buchanan, Grayson, Bland, Wythe,

the city of Bristol, Dickenson, Wise, Scott, Lee, and the city of Norton;

(2) Charlottesville Division. The Charlottesville Division embraces the

counties of Albemarle, Fluvanna, Madison, Greene, Nelson,

Rappahannock, Culpeper, Louisa, Orange, and the city of Charlottesville;

(3) Harrisonburg Division. The Harrisonburg Division embraces the

counties of Frederick, Clarke, Warren, Shenandoah, Page, Rockingham,

Augusta, Highland, Bath and the cities of Harrisonburg, Staunton,

Waynesboro and Winchester;

(4) Lynchburg Division. The Lynchburg Division embraces the counties of

Rockbridge, Amherst, Bedford, Campbell, Pittsylvania, Halifax, Charlotte,

Appomattox, Buckingham, Cumberland and the cities of Buena Vista,

Danville, Lexington and Lynchburg;

(5) Roanoke Division. The Roanoke Division embraces the counties of

Alleghany, Botetourt, Craig, Giles, Pulaski, Montgomery, Roanoke, Floyd,

Franklin, Carroll, Patrick, Henry, and the cities of Covington,

Martinsville, Radford, Roanoke, Salem, and Galax.

(b) Venue in Civil Cases. Civil actions for which venue is proper in this district must

be brought in the proper division as well. The venue rules for United States district

courts contained in the United States Code also apply in determining the proper

division in which an action must be filed, so that such venue rules are construed as

if the terms “judicial district” and “district” were replaced with the word “division.”

(c) Venue in Criminal Cases. Upon the return of an indictment by any grand jury, it

shall be filed in the division in which the crime charged is alleged to have occurred

and assigned to the judge next in rotation for that division. Where the indictment

charges a crime or crimes that are alleged to have occurred in more than one

division, the indictment shall be filed in the division in which it is alleged that a

crime occurred that is the residence of a defendant, or if there are more than two

defendants, and a majority of the defendants reside in one division, in that division.

If the appropriate division cannot be determined using the rules set forth herein, the

Clerk shall consult with the chief judge of the district, or in the chief judge’s

absence, with the next available active district judge in seniority, for direction as to

the proper division for filing. Superseding indictments in any case shall be filed

in the division in which the existing indictment is filed. Nothing in this rule shall

affect the discretion of the presiding judge in any case in determining the proper

place of trial.

(d) Assignment of Cases. Cases are assigned among the district judges pursuant to

Standing Order, as amended from time to time. If a judge to whom a case is

assigned is disqualified from the case by statute or by the Code of Conduct for

United States Judges, the case must be reassigned by the Clerk to the judge who is

next in rotation pursuant to the Standing Order, and if there is no other available

judge, then the chief judge must reassign the case, and if the chief judge is so

disqualified or is unavailable, then the next available active district judge in

seniority must reassign the case.

(e) Continuous Session. All of the divisions of this Court shall be deemed in

continuous session for transaction of judicial business on all business days

throughout the year.