{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/19.2-157.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/19.2-157.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/19.2-157.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/19.2-157.html"}],"law_id":68516,"edition_id":1,"section_id":68516,"structure_id":15038,"section_number":"19.2-157","catch_line":"Duty of court when accused appears without counsel","history":"Code 1950, \u00a7\u00a7 19.1-241.1, 19.1-241.7; 1964, c. 657; 1966, c. 460; 1973, c. 316; 1975, c. 495; 1978, c. 362; 2021, Sp. Sess. I, cc. 344, 345.","full_text":"Except as may otherwise be provided in \u00a7\u00a7 16.1-266 through 16.1-268, whenever a person charged with a criminal offense the penalty for which may be confinement in the state correctional facility or jail, including charges for revocation of suspension of imposition or execution of sentence or probation, appears before any court without being represented by counsel, the court shall inform him of his right to counsel. The accused shall be allowed a reasonable opportunity to employ counsel or, if appropriate, the statement of indigence provided for in \u00a7 19.2-159 may be executed.","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":248030,"text":"Except as may otherwise be provided in \u00a7\u00a7 16.1-266 through 16.1-268, whenever a person charged with a criminal offense the penalty for which may be confinement in the state correctional facility or jail, including charges for revocation of suspension of imposition or execution of sentence or probation, appears before any court without being represented by counsel, the court shall inform him of his right to counsel. The accused shall be allowed a reasonable opportunity to employ counsel or, if appropriate, the statement of indigence provided for in \u00a7 19.2-159 may be executed.","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1}},"ancestry":[{"id":15038,"edition_id":1,"name":"Appointment of Attorney for Accused","identifier":"3","label":"article","depth":3,"order_by":1,"parent_id":15037,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:51:40","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:51:40","permalink":{"id":168341,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":15038,"identifier":"3","token":"19.2\/10\/3","url":"\/19.2\/10\/3\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":15037,"edition_id":1,"name":"Disability of Judge or Attorney for Commonwealth; Court- Appointed Counsel; Interpreters; Transcripts","identifier":"10","label":"chapter","depth":2,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12801,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:51:40","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:51:40","permalink":{"id":168319,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":15037,"identifier":"10","token":"19.2\/10","url":"\/19.2\/10\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12801,"edition_id":1,"name":"Criminal Procedure","identifier":"19.2","label":"title","depth":1,"order_by":1,"parent_id":null,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:43:53","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:43:53","permalink":{"id":168169,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12801,"identifier":"19.2","token":"19.2","url":"\/19.2\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}}],"structure_contents":[{"id":68516,"structure_id":15038,"section_number":"19.2-157","catch_line":"Duty of court when accused appears without counsel","url":"\/19.2-157\/","token":"19.2\/10\/3\/19.2-157","metadata":false},{"id":78329,"structure_id":15038,"section_number":"19.2-158","catch_line":"When person not free on bail shall be informed of right to counsel and amount of bail","url":"\/19.2-158\/","token":"19.2\/10\/3\/19.2-158","metadata":false},{"id":57328,"structure_id":15038,"section_number":"19.2-159","catch_line":"Determination of indigency; guidelines; statement of indigence; appointment of counsel","url":"\/19.2-159\/","token":"19.2\/10\/3\/19.2-159","metadata":false},{"id":59760,"structure_id":15038,"section_number":"19.2-159.1","catch_line":"Interrogation by court; filing; change in circumstances; investigation by attorney for Commonwealth","url":"\/19.2-159.1\/","token":"19.2\/10\/3\/19.2-159.1","metadata":false},{"id":66760,"structure_id":15038,"section_number":"19.2-160","catch_line":"Appointment of counsel or waiver of right","url":"\/19.2-160\/","token":"19.2\/10\/3\/19.2-160","metadata":false},{"id":69984,"structure_id":15038,"section_number":"19.2-160.1","catch_line":"Appointment of counsel in Class 1 felony cases or cases involving a felony punishable by a mandatory minimum term of confinement for life","url":"\/19.2-160.1\/","token":"19.2\/10\/3\/19.2-160.1","metadata":false},{"id":76242,"structure_id":15038,"section_number":"19.2-161","catch_line":"Penalty for false swearing with regard to statement of indigence","url":"\/19.2-161\/","token":"19.2\/10\/3\/19.2-161","metadata":false},{"id":61067,"structure_id":15038,"section_number":"19.2-162","catch_line":"Continuances to be granted if necessary","url":"\/19.2-162\/","token":"19.2\/10\/3\/19.2-162","metadata":false},{"id":80860,"structure_id":15038,"section_number":"19.2-163","catch_line":"Compensation of court-appointed counsel","url":"\/19.2-163\/","token":"19.2\/10\/3\/19.2-163","metadata":false}],"next_section":{"id":78329,"structure_id":15038,"section_number":"19.2-158","catch_line":"When person not free on bail shall be informed of right to counsel and amount of bail","url":"\/19.2-158\/","token":"19.2\/10\/3\/19.2-158","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/19.2-157\/","history_text":"

The record of this law\u2019s original creation isn\u2019t available online. It has been modified 5 times. Those modifications are cataloged by \u201cThe Acts of Assembly,\u201d a state publication, by year and chapter. Those modifications that can be read on the General Assembly\u2019s website will be linked accordingly. Those modifications are as follows: in 1964, chapter 657; in 1966, chapter 460; in 1973, chapter 316; in 1975, chapter 495; in 1978, chapter 362.<\/p>","references":[{"id":78329,"section_number":"19.2-158","catch_line":"When person not free on bail shall be informed of right to counsel and amount of bail","order_by":null,"url":"\/19.2-158\/"},{"id":76496,"section_number":"19.2-163.01:1","catch_line":"Supplementing compensation of public defender","order_by":null,"url":"\/19.2-163.01_1\/"},{"id":81298,"section_number":"19.2-327.1","catch_line":"Motion by a convicted felon or person adjudicated delinquent for scientific analysis of newly discovered or previously untested scientific evidence; procedure","order_by":null,"url":"\/19.2-327.1\/"},{"id":80666,"section_number":"19.2-327.11","catch_line":"Contents and form of the petition based on previously unknown or unavailable evidence of actual innocence","order_by":null,"url":"\/19.2-327.11\/"},{"id":58516,"section_number":"19.2-327.3","catch_line":"Contents and form of the petition based on previously unknown or untested human biological evidence of actual innocence","order_by":null,"url":"\/19.2-327.3\/"}],"refers_to":[{"id":78366,"section_number":"16.1-266","catch_line":"Appointment of counsel and guardian ad litem","order_by":null,"url":"\/16.1-266\/"},{"id":65198,"section_number":"16.1-268","catch_line":"Order of appointment","order_by":null,"url":"\/16.1-268\/"},{"id":57328,"section_number":"19.2-159","catch_line":"Determination of indigency; guidelines; statement of indigence; appointment of counsel","order_by":null,"url":"\/19.2-159\/"}],"permalink":{"id":168343,"object_type":"law","relational_id":68516,"identifier":"19.2-157","token":"19.2\/10\/3\/19.2-157","url":"\/19.2-157\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/19.2-157\/","token":"19.2\/10\/3\/19.2-157","dublin_core":{"Title":"Duty of court when accused appears without counsel","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 19.2-157","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

Except as may otherwise be provided in \u00a7\u00a7 16.1-266<\/a> through 16.1-268<\/a>, whenever a person charged with a criminal offense<\/span> the penalty<\/span> for which may be confinement in the state correctional facility or jail, including charges for revocation<\/span> of suspension of imposition or execution of sentence or probation<\/span>, appears before any court<\/span> without being represented by counsel<\/span>, the court<\/span> shall inform him of his right to counsel<\/span>. The accused<\/span> shall be allowed a reasonable opportunity to employ counsel<\/span> or, if appropriate, the statement of indigence provided for in \u00a7 19.2-159<\/a> may be executed.<\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nDUTY OF COURT WHEN ACCUSED APPEARS WITHOUT COUNSEL (\u00a7 19.2-157)\n\nExcept as may otherwise be provided in \u00a7\u00a7 16.1-266 through 16.1-268, whenever\na person charged with a criminal offense the penalty for which may be\nconfinement in the state correctional facility or jail, including charges for\nrevocation of suspension of imposition or execution of sentence or probation,\nappears before any court without being represented by counsel, the court shall\ninform him of his right to counsel. The accused shall be allowed a reasonable\nopportunity to employ counsel or, if appropriate, the statement of indigence\nprovided for in \u00a7 19.2-159 may be executed.\n\nHISTORY: Code 1950, \u00a7\u00a7 19.1-241.1, 19.1-241.7; 1964, c. 657; 1966, c. 460;\n1973, c. 316; 1975, c. 495; 1978, c. 362; 2021, Sp. Sess. I, cc. 344, 345.","edition":{"id":1,"name":"2025","slug":"2025","date_created":"2026-06-21 22:39:22","date_modified":"2026-06-21 22:39:22","current":1,"order_by":1,"last_import":null}}