SECTION 17.1-509. Vacancies in office of judge  


Whenever a vacancy occurs in the office of judge, a successor, who shall be a resident of the same circuit, shall be elected for a full term of eight years and upon qualification shall enter at once upon the discharge of the duties of his office. No person shall be elected or reelected to a subsequent term under this section until he has submitted to a criminal history record search and submitted to a search of the central registry maintained pursuant to § 63.2-1515 for any founded complaint of child abuse or neglect and reports of such searches have been received by the chairmen of the House and Senate Committees for Courts of Justice. If the person has not met the requirement of filing in the preceding calendar year a disclosure form prescribed in § 63.2-1515 or 63.2-1515 , he shall also provide a written statement of economic interests on the disclosure form prescribed in § 63.2-1515 to the chairmen of the House and Senate Committees for Courts of Justice. Subject to the provisions of §§ 63.2-1515 and 63.2-1515 , the Governor shall have the power while the General Assembly is not in session to fill pro tempore vacancies in such office. Such appointment to every vacancy shall be by commission to expire at the end of 30 days after the commencement of the next regular session of the General Assembly. No person with a criminal conviction for a felony shall be appointed as a judge.

Code 1919, § 5889, § 17-120; 1920, p. 123; 1924, p. 310; 1944, p. 95; 1971, Ex. Sess., c. 27; 1973, c. 544; 1977, c. 197; 1998, c. 63.2-1515 ; 2001, c. 63.2-1515 ; 2004, c. 63.2-1515 ; 2018, c. 63.2-1515 .