Richmond Judge Halts Evictions – Voices for Civil Justice

"What people need to know is they don't have to move. Based on what the judge ruled today, they don't have to move. I think that is the key message we need to get out," said Central Virginia Legal Aid Society Litigation Director Marty Wegbreit on March 23rd after he successfully persuaded a judge to grant the Richmond sheriff authority to not carry out evictions during the COVID-19 outbreak.

News Story, Video (Virginia)

Jasmine Turner
NBC 12 On Your Side (Richmond, VA)
March 23, 2020
Watch the story.

Tags: Coronavirus, COVID-19, Housing: Eviction

Organizations mentioned/involved: Central Virginia Legal Aid Society

DETAILS

On March 23, the Richmond General District Court heard two motions. The first sought relief in an individual case to stop an eviction set for March 25. The second sought relief to stop all evictions set between now through April 6. The Richmond sheriff had evictions in hand because they were ones issued, but not executed, prior to the chief justice’s emergency order on March 16 to stop all non-essential, non-emergency proceedings as an emergency measure due to COVID-19. Each week, an estimated 150 evictions occur in the city of Richmond alone.

The judge granted relief in the first case and said the court would rule the same way in any other individual case brought before the court. The judge also said the court expected the sheriff, who was in court, to follow — in all scheduled evictions — the relief granted in the individual case. It is unlikely there will be evictions in Richmond from now through April 6th.