I was away when this thread was started but perhaps I can still help just a
bit with this issue.

First, court records of the counties and cities of the Commonwealth of
Virginia that are available on MICROFILM at LVA may be used by anyone coming
to the Library. Most of these are also available for loan through the ILL
system.

ORIGINAL county court records that are housed at LVA may or may not be
available for examination by those coming to the Library. It is a long
story, and a bit complicated, but the bottom line is that some court clerks
have requested that the public not have access to original records without
their permission; they have (under Virginia law) the right to do this. The
Library and its staff has no control over this decision. Most clerks, when
asked, will grant permission.

If you are planning a trip to Richmond and want to use deeds, wills, court
orders and the like ... have no fear. These are on film and available to
you. If you wish to see the original papers from a court case (one example),
well, first determine whether the papers are at the Library or still at the
county seat; if they are at the library, determine if you must obtain the
clerk's permission to see the papers you want. A phone call or letter will
save a great deal of aggravation.

Remember, this discussion is about county court records -- not tax records,
military records, census records, etc. -- just county court records!

Daphne Gentry

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