SEARCH SITE
VIRGINIA LAW PORTAL
- Code of Virginia
- Virginia Administrative Code
- Constitution of Virginia
- Charters
- Authorities
- Compacts
- Uncodified Acts
- RIS Users (account required)
SEARCHABLE DATABASES
- Bills & Resolutions
session legislation - Bill Summaries
session summaries - Reports to the General Assembly
House and Senate documents - Legislative Liaisons
State agency contacts
ACROSS SESSIONS
- Subject Index: Since 1995
- Bills & Resolutions: Since 1994
- Summaries: Since 1994
Developed and maintained by the Division of Legislative Automated Systems.
2015 SESSION
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:
1. That §§ 19.2-244 and 19.2-247 of the Code of Virginia are amended and reenacted as follows:
§ 19.2-244. Venue in general.
A. Except as otherwise provided by law, the prosecution of a criminal case shall be had in the county or city in which the offense was committed. Except as to motions for a change of venue, all other questions of venue must be raised before verdict in cases tried by a jury and before the finding of guilty in cases tried by the court without a jury.
B. If an offense has been committed within the Commonwealth and it cannot readily be determined within which county or city the offense was committed, venue for the prosecution of the offense may be had in the county or city (i) in which the defendant resides; (ii) if the defendant is not a resident of the Commonwealth, in which the defendant is apprehended; or (iii) if the defendant is not a resident of the Commonwealth and is not apprehended in the Commonwealth, in which any related offense was committed.
§ 19.2-247. Venue in certain homicide cases.
Where evidence exists that a homicide has been committed
either within or without this the Commonwealth, under
circumstances which that make it unknown where such crime was
committed, the offense homicide and any related offenses shall be
amenable to prosecution in the courts of the county or city where the body
or any part thereof of the victim may be found or, if the victim was
removed from the Commonwealth for medical treatment prior to death and died
outside the Commonwealth, in the courts of the county or city from which the
victim was removed for medical treatment prior to death, as if the offense has
been committed in such county or city. In a prosecution for capital murder
pursuant to subdivision 8 of § 18.2-31, the offense may be prosecuted in any
jurisdiction in the Commonwealth in which any one of the killings may be
prosecuted.