42.1-70 - Assessment for law library as part of costs in civil actions; contributions from bar associations.
§ 42.1-70. Assessment for law library as part of costs in civil actions;contributions from bar associations.
Any county, city or town may, through its governing body, assess, as part ofthe costs incident to each civil action filed in the courts located withinits boundaries, a sum not in excess of four dollars.
The imposition of such assessment shall be by ordinance of the governingbody, which ordinance may provide for different sums in circuit courts anddistrict courts, and the assessment shall be collected by the clerk of thecourt in which the action is filed, and remitted to the treasurer of suchcounty, city or town and held by such treasurer subject to disbursements bythe governing body for the acquisition of (i) law books, law periodicals andcomputer legal research services, computer terminals for offsite placement tomaximize access to the law library by the public, and (ii) equipment for theestablishment, use and maintenance of a law library which shall be open forthe use of the public at hours convenient to the public. In addition to theacquisition of law books, law periodicals and computer legal researchservices and equipment, the disbursements may include compensation to be paidto librarians and other necessary staff for the maintenance of such libraryand acquisition of suitable quarters for such library. The compensation ofsuch librarians and the necessary staff and the cost of suitable quarters forsuch library shall be fixed by the governing body and paid out of the fundcreated by the imposition of such assessment of cost. Such libraries,pursuant to rules of the Supreme Court and at costs to such libraries, mayhave access to computer research services of the State Law Library.Disbursements may be made to purchase or lease computer terminals for thepurpose of retaining such research services. The assessment provided forherein shall be in addition to all other costs prescribed by law, but shallnot apply to any action in which the Commonwealth or any politicalsubdivision thereof or the federal government is a party and in which thecosts are assessed against the Commonwealth, political subdivision thereof,or federal government. The governing body is authorized to acceptcontributions to the fund from any bar association.
Any such library established in the County of Wythe shall be located only ina town which is the seat of the county government.
(Code 1950, § 42-19.4; 1964, c. 439; 1964, Ex. Sess., c. 26; 1966, c. 225;1970, c. 606; 1972, c. 343; 1977, c. 397; 1981, c. 48; 1982, c. 607; 1983,cc. 309, 355; 1984, c. 16; 1985, c. 381; 1988, c. 571; 2009, c. 617.)