Petersburg (Va.) Police Court Docket, 1914-1928

Access and use

Location of collection:
Library of Virginia
The Library of Virginia
800 East Broad Street
Richmond, VA 23219
Contact for questions and access:
POC: Archives Reference Services
Phone: (804) 692-3888
Restrictions:

There are no restrictions.

Terms of access:

There are no restrictions.

Preferred citation:

Petersburg (Va.) Police Court Docket,, 1914-1928. Local government records collection, Petersburg (City) Court Records. The Library of Virginia, Richmond, Virginia 23219.

Summary

Creator:
Petersburg (Va.) Circuit Court.
Language:
English
Preferred citation:

Petersburg (Va.) Police Court Docket,, 1914-1928. Local government records collection, Petersburg (City) Court Records. The Library of Virginia, Richmond, Virginia 23219.

Background

Scope and content:

Petersburg (Va.) Police Court Docket, 1914-1928, records the activities of the police court and gives information about the name of the person charged, justice of the peace who dealt with the offense, and any fees or fines associated with the charge. Not recorded is the nature of the crime committed. There is no index.

Biographical / historical:

Petersburg was formed from parts of Dinwiddie, Prince George, and Chesterfield counties. A garrison and fur trading post called Fort Henry was established in 1645 on the site of the Indian village of Appamattuck. The present name, suggested in 1733 by William Byrd II, honors Peter Jones, Byrd's companion on expeditions into the Virginia backcountry. Petersburg was established in 1748 and incorporated as a town in 1784. In the latter year the towns of Blandford, Pocahontas, and Ravenscroft were added to Petersburg. It was incorporated as a city in 1850. Petersburg was enlarged by annexation from both Prince George and Dinwiddie counties in 1972.

Police Court was a city court that had jurisdiction in all petit criminal cases that involved only confinement in jail and smaller fines, including minor traffic violations, public-health nuisances, petty theft or assault, violations of city ordinances, and warrants for indebtedness. Persons arrested for greater criminal violations could begin their legal process at the Police Court and be referred on to higher courts for trial or other disposition of their case. The police justice was an elected city official.

Acquisition information:
These items came to the Library of Virginia under the accession number 50662.
Arrangement:

Arranged chronologically.

Physical location:
State Records Center - Archives Annex, Library of Virginia
Physical description:
1 v.