{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/19.2-216.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/19.2-216.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/19.2-216.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/19.2-216.html"}],"law_id":60512,"edition_id":1,"section_id":60512,"structure_id":15748,"section_number":"19.2-216","catch_line":"Definition of indictment, presentment and information","history":"1975, c. 495.","full_text":"An indictment is a written accusation of crime, prepared by the attorney for the Commonwealth and returned &#8220;a true bill&#8221; upon the oath or affirmation of a legally impanelled grand jury.\n\t\tA presentment is a written accusation of crime prepared and returned by a grand jury from their own knowledge or observation, without any bill of indictment laid before them.\n\t\tAn information is a written accusation of crime or a complaint for forfeiture of property or money or for imposition of a penalty, prepared and presented by a competent public official upon his oath of office.","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":221247,"text":"An indictment is a written accusation of crime, prepared by the attorney for the Commonwealth and returned &#8220;a true bill&#8221; upon the oath or affirmation of a legally impanelled grand jury.\n\t\tA presentment is a written accusation of crime prepared and returned by a grand jury from their own knowledge or observation, without any bill of indictment laid before them.\n\t\tAn information is a written accusation of crime or a complaint for forfeiture of property or money or for imposition of a penalty, prepared and presented by a competent public official upon his oath of office.","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1}},"ancestry":[{"id":15748,"edition_id":1,"name":"Necessity for Indictment, Etc","identifier":"1","label":"article","depth":3,"order_by":1,"parent_id":14119,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:58:52","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:58:52","permalink":{"id":168863,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":15748,"identifier":"1","token":"19.2\/14\/1","url":"\/19.2\/14\/1\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":14119,"edition_id":1,"name":"Presentments, Indictments and Informations","identifier":"14","label":"chapter","depth":2,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12801,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:46:56","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:46:56","permalink":{"id":168861,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":14119,"identifier":"14","token":"19.2\/14","url":"\/19.2\/14\/","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":60512,"structure_id":15748,"section_number":"19.2-216","catch_line":"Definition of indictment, presentment and information","url":"\/19.2-216\/","token":"19.2\/14\/1\/19.2-216","metadata":false},{"id":74176,"structure_id":15748,"section_number":"19.2-217","catch_line":"When information filed; prosecution for felony to be by indictment or presentment; waiver; process to compel appearance of accused","url":"\/19.2-217\/","token":"19.2\/14\/1\/19.2-217","metadata":false},{"id":62590,"structure_id":15748,"section_number":"19.2-217.1","catch_line":"Central file of aggravated murder indictments","url":"\/19.2-217.1\/","token":"19.2\/14\/1\/19.2-217.1","metadata":false},{"id":79152,"structure_id":15748,"section_number":"19.2-218","catch_line":"Preliminary hearing required for person arrested on charge of felony; waiver","url":"\/19.2-218\/","token":"19.2\/14\/1\/19.2-218","metadata":false},{"id":81843,"structure_id":15748,"section_number":"19.2-218.1","catch_line":"Preliminary hearings involving certain sexual crimes against spouses","url":"\/19.2-218.1\/","token":"19.2\/14\/1\/19.2-218.1","metadata":false},{"id":69131,"structure_id":15748,"section_number":"19.2-218.2","catch_line":"Hearing before juvenile and domestic relations district court required for persons accused of certain violations against their spouses","url":"\/19.2-218.2\/","token":"19.2\/14\/1\/19.2-218.2","metadata":false},{"id":71677,"structure_id":15748,"section_number":"19.2-219","catch_line":"When capias need not be issued; summons; judgment","url":"\/19.2-219\/","token":"19.2\/14\/1\/19.2-219","metadata":false}],"next_section":{"id":74176,"structure_id":15748,"section_number":"19.2-217","catch_line":"When information filed; prosecution for felony to be by indictment or presentment; waiver; process to compel appearance of accused","url":"\/19.2-217\/","token":"19.2\/14\/1\/19.2-217","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/19.2-216\/","history_text":"<p>This law was first created in 1975. The record of its establishment is cataloged in chapter 495 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 1975 \u201cActs\u201d aren\u2019t available online.<\/p>","references":[{"id":78129,"section_number":"38.2-4614","catch_line":"Prohibition against payment or receipt of title insurance kickbacks, rebates, commissions and other payments; penalty","order_by":null,"url":"\/38.2-4614\/"}],"refers_to":false,"permalink":{"id":168865,"object_type":"law","relational_id":60512,"identifier":"19.2-216","token":"19.2\/14\/1\/19.2-216","url":"\/19.2-216\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/19.2-216\/","token":"19.2\/14\/1\/19.2-216","dublin_core":{"Title":"Definition of indictment, presentment and information","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 19.2-216","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<section><p>An indictment is a written accusation of <span class=\"dictionary\">crime<\/span>, prepared by the attorney for the Commonwealth and returned &#8220;a <span class=\"dictionary\">true bill<\/span>&#8221; upon the <span class=\"dictionary\">oath<\/span> or affirmation of a legally impanelled <span class=\"dictionary\">grand jury<\/span>.\n\t\tA <span class=\"dictionary\">presentment<\/span> is a written accusation of <span class=\"dictionary\">crime<\/span> prepared and returned by a <span class=\"dictionary\">grand jury<\/span> from their own knowledge or observation, without any <span class=\"dictionary\">bill of indictment<\/span> laid before them.\n\t\tAn information is a written accusation of <span class=\"dictionary\">crime<\/span> or a complaint for forfeiture of property or money or for imposition of a <span class=\"dictionary\">penalty<\/span>, prepared and presented by a competent public official upon his <span class=\"dictionary\">oath<\/span> of office.<\/p><\/section>","plain_text":"                                 CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nDEFINITION OF INDICTMENT, PRESENTMENT AND INFORMATION (\u00a7 19.2-216)\n\nAn indictment is a written accusation of crime, prepared by the attorney for the\nCommonwealth and returned &#8220;a true bill&#8221; upon the oath or affirmation\nof a legally impanelled grand jury.\n\t\tA presentment is a written accusation of crime prepared and returned by a\ngrand jury from their own knowledge or observation, without any bill of\nindictment laid before them.\n\t\tAn information is a written accusation of crime or a complaint for forfeiture\nof property or money or for imposition of a penalty, prepared and presented by a\ncompetent public official upon his oath of office.\n\nHISTORY: 1975, c. 495.","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}}