15.2-3806 - Pretrial conference; matters considered.
§ 15.2-3806. Pretrial conference; matters considered.
The special court shall, prior to hearing any case under this chapter, directthe attorneys for the parties to appear before it or, in its discretion,before a single judge, for a conference to consider:
1. Simplification of the issues;
2. Amendment of pleadings and filing of additional pleadings;
3. Stipulations as to facts, documents, records, photographs, plans and likematters, which will dispense with formal proof thereof, including:
a. Assessed values and the ratio of assessed values to true values, asdetermined by the State Department of Taxation, in the town seeking to becomea city and in the remaining portion of the county including real property,personal property, machinery and tools, merchants' capital and public servicecorporation assessment for each year of the five years immediately preceding;
b. School population and school enrollment in the town seeking to become acity and in the remaining portion of the county, as shown by the records inthe office of the division superintendent of schools; and the cost ofeducation per pupil in average daily membership, as shown by the most recentreport of the Superintendent of Public Instruction; and
c. Population and the population density of the town seeking to become a cityand of the remaining portion of the county;
4. The method of taking any population census requested by the petitioner;
5. Limitation on the number of expert witnesses; each expert witness who willtestify shall file a statement of his qualifications; and
6. Such other matters as may aid in the disposition of the case.
The court, or the judge, as the case may be, shall make an appropriate orderwhich will control the subsequent conduct of the case unless modified beforeor during the trial or hearing to prevent manifest injustice.
(1979, c. 85, § 15.1-982.7; 1997, c. 587; 2010, cc. 386, 629.)