According to my personal notes it was abolished by the General Assembly in 1849 by prohibitng the issuing of a writ of capias ad satis faciendum. I'm not sure where I got this information though. There was also a Virginia Supreme Court Case which Judicially adopted the doctrine that imprisonment for failure to pay a contracturally aquired debt, absent fraud, is unconstitutional as violating fundamental principles of justice. Makarov v. Commonwealth 217 Va. 381 (1976) To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe, please see the instructions at http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-hist.html