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Powhatan County Courthouse Powhatan's graceful Greek revival courthouse, restored to its 19th century elegance, houses a three court complex, the Office of county clerk and the sheriff. The County Circuit Court, part of the 11th Judicial Circuit of Virginia, is presided over by Judge Thomas V. Warren. This court hears criminal cases, law and civil cases, chancery and equity cases and cases which have been appealed from both the General District and Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court. A circuit court is the only court in the state of Virginia where cases may be tried by a jury. All cases brought before Judge Warren are heard in the remodeled circuit court room. In a separate court room, the General District Court hears cases involving misdemeanors, traffic offenses and civil suits in which damages sought are under $15,000. Extradition hearings are also conducted in this court as well as preliminary hearings in felony cases. Judge of the General District Court is Richard E. Lewis, Jr. who also presides over General District courts in Amelia, Nottoway, and Dinwiddie counties. General District Court meets at 9:30 a. m. each Monday. Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court meets each Wednesday at 9:30 a m. in the district court room. Judge Valentine W. Southall hears cases involving delinquency, child and spousal support, custody, spousal abuse, foster care, violation of probation and traffic violations charged against persons under 18. The Office of Clerk of Circuit Court has many responsibilities connected with the work of the court. However, the clerk is also charged with a number of other duties, from issuing marriage licenses to recording deeds, probating wills and indexing corporation charters. The clerk gives the oath of office to elected and appointed officials, files documents and briefs in law suits, aids those engaged in historical and genealogical research and collects overdue traffic fines. All this and more is in the hands of Circuit Court Clerk William E. Maxey Jr., and his staff and requires a considerable amount of space in the court house complex. On the lower level of the courthouse complex is the County Sheriff's Department, with the dispatcher's office at its center. From this point, dispatchers communicate by radio and telephone with officers in patrol cars in response to citizen calls for assistance or complaints of illegal activities. The county's system also uses computers to allow dispatchers to instantly identify addresses, telephone numbers, and names of people calling for help. |