Rule 5:20A Denial of Appeal; Petition for Rehearing

When the Supreme Court of Virginia turns down your appeal, you can ask the court to reconsider that decision. This request is called a petition for rehearing. You have 14 days from the date the court refused your appeal to file this petition.

Your petition cannot be longer than 3,000 words. You do not need to restate all the facts and arguments from your original petition. Instead, you should focus on explaining why you think the court made a mistake in turning down your case.

The other side in your case does not get to respond to your petition unless the court specifically asks them to. The court will look at your petition and decide whether to reconsider without hearing from the other party first.