Portsmouth Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court

The Portsmouth Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court shall implement the following local rule with respect to criminal plea agreements for felonies and misdemeanors. If a presiding judge rejects a plea agreement freely negotiated by the Commonwealth's Attorney and Defendant's Attorney and/or Defendant, that judge shall then immediately recuse him or herself in accordance with Virginia Code Section 16.-277.7, Virginia Code Section 19.2-254 or any other applicable code section. Henceforth, the case will be assigned to another presiding judge in alphabetical order by last name. If that presiding judge also rejects the same plea agreement, the plea is then considered rejected by the entire Court and the same plea agreement shall not be considered by any other presiding judge. That second presiding judge will then also recuse him or herself in accordance with the aforementioned code sections. The case will then be assigned to another presiding judge in alphabetical order by last name for disposition.

Rule 8:15 governs; leave of court is not required for discovery requests pursuant to part (c) of the rule.