Title 8.01. Civil Remedies and Procedure
Subtitle .
Chapter 26.1. Appeals to the Court of Appeals
Chapter 26.1. Appeals to the Court of Appeals.
§ 8.01-675.3. Time within which appeal must be taken; notice.Except as provided in § 19.2-400 for pretrial appeals by the Commonwealth in criminal cases and in § 19.2-401 for cross appeals by the defendant in such pretrial appeals, a notice of appeal to the Court of Appeals in any case within the jurisdiction of the court shall be filed within 30 days from the date of any final judgment order, decree, or conviction. When an appeal from an interlocutory decree or order is permitted, the notice of appeal shall be filed within 30 days from the date of such decree or order, except for pretrial appeals pursuant to § 19.2-398. However, an extension may be granted, in the discretion of the Court of Appeals, on motion for good cause shown.
For purposes of this section, § 17.1-408, and an appeal pursuant to § 19.2-398, a petition for appeal in a criminal case or a notice of appeal to the Court of Appeals, shall be deemed to be timely filed if (i) it is mailed postage prepaid by registered or certified mail and (ii) the official postal receipt, showing mailing within the prescribed time limits, is exhibited upon demand of the clerk or any party.
1984, c. 703; 1987, c. 710; 2003, c. 109; 2021, Sp. Sess. I, c. 489; 2022, c. 714.
When a case has previously been in an appellate court, the Court of Appeals may inspect the record of the former appeal. The court may, in any case, after reasonable notice to counsel in the appellate court, award a writ of certiorari to the clerk of the trial court and have brought before it, when part of a record is omitted, the whole or any part of such record. As soon as a case is decided, the clerk of the Court of Appeals shall cause the appendix, if any, and briefs of counsel to be recorded and preserved in any manner which meets archival standards as recommended by the Archives and Records Division of The Library of Virginia.
1984, c. 703; 1988, c. 197; 1994, c. 64.
A. When, prior to the commencement of trial, the circuit court has entered in any pending civil action an order or decree that is not otherwise appealable, any party may file in the circuit court a motion requesting that the circuit court certify such order or decree for interlocutory appeal.
The motion shall include a concise analysis of the statutes, rules, or cases believed to be determinative of the issues and request that the court certify in writing that the order or decree involves a question of law as to which (i) there is substantial ground for difference of opinion; (ii) there is no clear, controlling precedent on point in the decisions of the Supreme Court of Virginia or the Court of Appeals of Virginia; (iii) determination of the issues will be dispositive of a material aspect of the proceeding currently pending before the court; and (iv) it is in the parties' best interest to seek an interlocutory appeal. If the request for certification is opposed by any party, the parties may brief the motion in accordance with the Rules of Supreme Court of Virginia.
Within 15 days of the entry of an order by the circuit court granting such certification, a petition for appeal may be filed with the Court of Appeals. If the Court of Appeals determines that the certification by the circuit court has sufficient merit, it may, in its discretion, permit an appeal to be taken from the interlocutory order or decree and shall notify the certifying circuit court and counsel for the parties of its decision.
The consideration of any petition and appeal by the Court of Appeals shall be in accordance with the applicable provisions of the Rules of the Supreme Court of Virginia and shall not take precedence on the docket unless the court so orders.
B. No petitions or appeals under this section shall stay proceedings in the circuit court unless the circuit court or appellate court orders such a stay upon a finding that (i) the petition or appeal could be dispositive of the entire civil action or (ii) there exists good cause, other than the pending petition or appeal, to stay the proceedings.
C. The failure of a party to seek interlocutory review under this section shall not preclude review of the issue on appeal from a final order. An order by the Supreme Court or Court of Appeals denying interlocutory review under this section shall not preclude review of the issue on appeal from a final order, unless the order denying such interlocutory review provides for such preclusion.
No appeal shall be taken from any judgment of a circuit court except when the controversy is for a matter of $500 or more in value or amount, and except in cases in which it is otherwise expressly provided; nor to a judgment of any circuit court in a civil case when the controversy is for a matter less in value or amount than $500, exclusive of costs, unless there be drawn in question a freehold or franchise or the title or bounds of land, or some other matter not merely pecuniary.
