{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/19.2-183.1.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/19.2-183.1.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/19.2-183.1.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/19.2-183.1.html"}],"law_id":73768,"edition_id":1,"section_id":73768,"structure_id":16023,"section_number":"19.2-183.1","catch_line":"Joint preliminary hearings","history":"1993, cc. 462, 489.","full_text":"Upon motion of the attorney for the Commonwealth, preliminary hearings for persons alleged to have participated in contemporaneous and related acts or occurrences or in a series of such acts or occurrences constituting an offense or offenses may be heard jointly if jurisdiction over each person and offense lies in the same court, unless the court finds that such joint preliminary hearing would constitute prejudice to a defendant. Upon such a finding, the court shall order that the preliminary hearing for that defendant be held separately.","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":265276,"text":"Upon motion of the attorney for the Commonwealth, preliminary hearings for persons alleged to have participated in contemporaneous and related acts or occurrences or in a series of such acts or occurrences constituting an offense or offenses may be heard jointly if jurisdiction over each person and offense lies in the same court, unless the court finds that such joint preliminary hearing would constitute prejudice to a defendant. Upon such a finding, the court shall order that the preliminary hearing for that defendant be held separately.","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1}},"ancestry":[{"id":16023,"edition_id":1,"name":"Preliminary Hearing","identifier":"12","label":"chapter","depth":2,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12801,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 04:04:10","date_modified":"2026-06-26 04:04:10","permalink":{"id":168621,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":16023,"identifier":"12","token":"19.2\/12","url":"\/19.2\/12\/","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":76815,"structure_id":16023,"section_number":"19.2-183","catch_line":"Examination of witnesses; assistance of counsel; evidentiary matters and remedies; power to adjourn case","url":"\/19.2-183\/","token":"19.2\/12\/19.2-183","metadata":false},{"id":73768,"structure_id":16023,"section_number":"19.2-183.1","catch_line":"Joint preliminary hearings","url":"\/19.2-183.1\/","token":"19.2\/12\/19.2-183.1","metadata":false},{"id":75822,"structure_id":16023,"section_number":"19.2-184","catch_line":"Witnesses may be separated (Subsection (a) of Supreme Court Rule 2:615 derived in part from this section)","url":"\/19.2-184\/","token":"19.2\/12\/19.2-184","metadata":false},{"id":82925,"structure_id":16023,"section_number":"19.2-185","catch_line":"Testimony may be reduced to writing and subscribed","url":"\/19.2-185\/","token":"19.2\/12\/19.2-185","metadata":false},{"id":79502,"structure_id":16023,"section_number":"19.2-186","catch_line":"When accused to be discharged, tried, committed or bailed by judge","url":"\/19.2-186\/","token":"19.2\/12\/19.2-186","metadata":false},{"id":77353,"structure_id":16023,"section_number":"19.2-187","catch_line":"Admission into evidence of certain certificates of analysis","url":"\/19.2-187\/","token":"19.2\/12\/19.2-187","metadata":false},{"id":77294,"structure_id":16023,"section_number":"19.2-187.01","catch_line":"Certificate of analysis as evidence of chain of custody of material described therein","url":"\/19.2-187.01\/","token":"19.2\/12\/19.2-187.01","metadata":false},{"id":74057,"structure_id":16023,"section_number":"19.2-187.02","catch_line":"Admissibility of written reports or records of blood alcohol tests conducted in the regular course of providing emergency medical treatment","url":"\/19.2-187.02\/","token":"19.2\/12\/19.2-187.02","metadata":false},{"id":73680,"structure_id":16023,"section_number":"19.2-187.1","catch_line":"Procedures for notifying accused of certificate of analysis; waiver; continuances","url":"\/19.2-187.1\/","token":"19.2\/12\/19.2-187.1","metadata":false},{"id":62769,"structure_id":16023,"section_number":"19.2-187.2","catch_line":"Procedure for subpoena duces tecum of analysis evidence","url":"\/19.2-187.2\/","token":"19.2\/12\/19.2-187.2","metadata":false},{"id":84831,"structure_id":16023,"section_number":"19.2-188","catch_line":"Reports by Chief Medical Examiner received as evidence","url":"\/19.2-188\/","token":"19.2\/12\/19.2-188","metadata":false},{"id":67789,"structure_id":16023,"section_number":"19.2-188.1","catch_line":"Testimony regarding identification of controlled substances","url":"\/19.2-188.1\/","token":"19.2\/12\/19.2-188.1","metadata":false},{"id":86564,"structure_id":16023,"section_number":"19.2-188.2","catch_line":"Certificate of surgeon as evidence","url":"\/19.2-188.2\/","token":"19.2\/12\/19.2-188.2","metadata":false},{"id":67819,"structure_id":16023,"section_number":"19.2-188.3","catch_line":"Admissibility of affidavits by government officials regarding a search of government records (Subdivision (10)(b) of Supreme Court Rule 2:803 derived from this section)","url":"\/19.2-188.3\/","token":"19.2\/12\/19.2-188.3","metadata":false},{"id":75982,"structure_id":16023,"section_number":"19.2-188.4","catch_line":"Two-way video testimony related to certain forensic medical examinations","url":"\/19.2-188.4\/","token":"19.2\/12\/19.2-188.4","metadata":false},{"id":75244,"structure_id":16023,"section_number":"19.2-189","catch_line":"Commitment of accused for further examination","url":"\/19.2-189\/","token":"19.2\/12\/19.2-189","metadata":false},{"id":81953,"structure_id":16023,"section_number":"19.2-190","catch_line":"To whom, and when, examination and recognizance to be certified","url":"\/19.2-190\/","token":"19.2\/12\/19.2-190","metadata":false},{"id":64672,"structure_id":16023,"section_number":"19.2-190.1","catch_line":"Certification of ancillary misdemeanor offenses","url":"\/19.2-190.1\/","token":"19.2\/12\/19.2-190.1","metadata":false},{"id":77289,"structure_id":16023,"section_number":"19.2-190.2","catch_line":"Withdrawal of privately retained counsel","url":"\/19.2-190.2\/","token":"19.2\/12\/19.2-190.2","metadata":false}],"previous_section":{"id":76815,"structure_id":16023,"section_number":"19.2-183","catch_line":"Examination of witnesses; assistance of counsel; evidentiary matters and remedies; power to adjourn case","url":"\/19.2-183\/","token":"19.2\/12\/19.2-183","metadata":false},"next_section":{"id":75822,"structure_id":16023,"section_number":"19.2-184","catch_line":"Witnesses may be separated (Subsection (a) of Supreme Court Rule 2:615 derived in part from this section)","url":"\/19.2-184\/","token":"19.2\/12\/19.2-184","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/19.2-183.1\/","history_text":"<p>This law was first created in 1993. The record of its establishment is cataloged in chapters 462 and 489 of that year\u2019s edition of \u201cActs of Assembly,\u201d the annual state publication listing all changes made to the Code of Virginia in that year. Unfortunately, the 1993 \u201cActs\u201d aren\u2019t available online.<\/p>","references":false,"refers_to":false,"permalink":{"id":168627,"object_type":"law","relational_id":73768,"identifier":"19.2-183.1","token":"19.2\/12\/19.2-183.1","url":"\/19.2-183.1\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/19.2-183.1\/","token":"19.2\/12\/19.2-183.1","dublin_core":{"Title":"Joint preliminary hearings","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 19.2-183.1","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<section><p>Upon <span class=\"dictionary\">motion<\/span> of the attorney for the Commonwealth, <span class=\"dictionary\">preliminary hearings<\/span> for persons alleged to have participated in contemporaneous and related acts or occurrences or in a series of such acts or occurrences constituting an <span class=\"dictionary\">offense<\/span> or <span class=\"dictionary\">offenses<\/span> may be heard jointly if <span class=\"dictionary\">jurisdiction<\/span> over each person and <span class=\"dictionary\">offense<\/span> lies in the same <span class=\"dictionary\">court<\/span>, unless the <span class=\"dictionary\">court<\/span> finds that such joint <span class=\"dictionary\">preliminary hearing<\/span> would constitute prejudice to a <span class=\"dictionary\">defendant<\/span>. Upon such a <span class=\"dictionary\">finding<\/span>, the <span class=\"dictionary\">court<\/span> shall <span class=\"dictionary\">order<\/span> that the <span class=\"dictionary\">preliminary hearing<\/span> for that <span class=\"dictionary\">defendant<\/span> be held separately.<\/p><\/section>","plain_text":"                                 CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nJOINT PRELIMINARY HEARINGS (\u00a7 19.2-183.1)\n\nUpon motion of the attorney for the Commonwealth, preliminary hearings for\npersons alleged to have participated in contemporaneous and related acts or\noccurrences or in a series of such acts or occurrences constituting an offense\nor offenses may be heard jointly if jurisdiction over each person and offense\nlies in the same court, unless the court finds that such joint preliminary\nhearing would constitute prejudice to a defendant. Upon such a finding, the\ncourt shall order that the preliminary hearing for that defendant be held\nseparately.\n\nHISTORY: 1993, cc. 462, 489.","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}}