16.1-233 - Department to develop court services; court services units; appointment and removal of employees; salaries.
§ 16.1-233. Department to develop court services; court services units;appointment and removal of employees; salaries.
A. Within funds appropriated for the purpose, it shall be a function of theDepartment to develop and operate, except as hereinafter provided, probation,parole and other court services for juvenile and domestic relations districtcourts in order that all children coming within the jurisdiction of suchcourts throughout the Commonwealth shall receive the fullest protection ofthe court. To this end the Director may establish court services units in theDepartment. The Director shall appoint such employees as he may find to benecessary to carry out properly the responsibilities of the Departmentrelative to the development, supervision and operation of probation, paroleand other court services throughout the Commonwealth as set forth in thischapter.
B. The salaries of the persons employed pursuant to this section shall bepaid out of funds appropriated for such purpose to the Department of JuvenileJustice. The Director and such employees as he may find necessary to carryout properly the responsibilities of the Department pursuant to subsection Aof this section shall have access to all probation offices, other socialservices and to their records.
C. The State Board shall establish minimum standards for court service staffsand related supportive personnel and promulgate regulations pertaining totheir appointment and function to the end that uniform services, insofar asis practical, will be available to juvenile and domestic relations districtcourts throughout the Commonwealth. In counties or cities now served byregional juvenile and domestic relations courts or where specialized courtservice units are not provided, and in any county or city which providedspecialized services on June 30, 1973, that requests the development of acourt service unit, appointment to positions in such units shall be based onmerit as provided in the Virginia Personnel Act (§ 2.2-2900 et seq.).
D. No person shall be assigned to or discharged from the state-operated courtservice staff of a juvenile and domestic relations district court except asprovided in the Virginia Personnel Act (§ 2.2-2900 et seq.). The Directorshall have the authority, for good cause, after consulting with the judge orjudges of that juvenile and domestic relations district court and after duenotice and opportunity to be heard, to order the transfer, demotion orseparation of any person from the court service staff subject only to thelimitations of the Virginia Personnel Act.
(Code 1950, § 16.1-203; 1956, c. 555; 1972, c. 708; 1973, c. 546; 1974, cc.44, 45; 1977, c. 559; 1979, c. 700; 1989, c. 733; 1995, cc. 696, 699; 2001,c. 853; 2003, c. 648.)