History of Garnishment Law in Virginia: From the William and Mary Law Review

Garnishment came into Virginia law in 1850. And it's largely unchanged.

Garnishment was enacted as a reform, an alternative to debtor's prison. You can read more about that here.

This article, in the William & Mary Law Review, is also the best thing I've seen on the writ of fieri facias. I think a fieri facias in the wrong county should be an FDCPA violation.

The article, by Charles J Nabit, is from Volume 21, Issue 3 (April 1980) William and Mary Law Review.