{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/19.2-217.1.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/19.2-217.1.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/19.2-217.1.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/19.2-217.1.html"}],"law_id":62590,"edition_id":1,"section_id":62590,"structure_id":15748,"section_number":"19.2-217.1","catch_line":"Central file of aggravated murder indictments","history":"1993, c. 319; 2021, Sp. Sess. I, cc. 344, 345.","full_text":"Upon the return by a grand jury of an indictment for aggravated murder and the arrest of the defendant, the clerk of the circuit court in which such indictment is returned shall forthwith file a certified copy of the indictment with the clerk of the Supreme Court of Virginia. All such indictments shall be maintained in a single place by the clerk of the Supreme Court, and shall be available to members of the public upon request. Failure to comply with the provisions of this section shall not be (i) a basis upon which an indictment may be quashed or deemed invalid; (ii) deemed error upon which a conviction may be reversed or a sentence vacated; or (iii) a basis upon which a court may prevent or delay execution of a sentence.","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":228236,"text":"Upon the return by a grand jury of an indictment for aggravated murder and the arrest of the defendant, the clerk of the circuit court in which such indictment is returned shall forthwith file a certified copy of the indictment with the clerk of the Supreme Court of Virginia. All such indictments shall be maintained in a single place by the clerk of the Supreme Court, and shall be available to members of the public upon request. Failure to comply with the provisions of this section shall not be (i) a basis upon which an indictment may be quashed or deemed invalid; (ii) deemed error upon which a conviction may be reversed or a sentence vacated; or (iii) a basis upon which a court may prevent or delay execution of a sentence.","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}],"previous_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},"next_section":{"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},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/19.2-217.1\/","history_text":"

This law was first created in 1993. The record of its establishment is cataloged in chapter 319 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":168873,"object_type":"law","relational_id":62590,"identifier":"19.2-217.1","token":"19.2\/14\/1\/19.2-217.1","url":"\/19.2-217.1\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/19.2-217.1\/","token":"19.2\/14\/1\/19.2-217.1","dublin_core":{"Title":"Central file of aggravated murder indictments","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 19.2-217.1","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

Upon the return by a grand jury<\/span> of an indictment<\/span> for aggravated murder<\/span> and the arrest<\/span> of the defendant<\/span>, the clerk of the circuit<\/span> court<\/span> in which such indictment<\/span> is returned shall forthwith file a certified copy of the indictment<\/span> with the clerk of the Supreme Court<\/span> of Virginia. All such indictments<\/span> shall be maintained in a single place by the clerk of the Supreme Court<\/span>, and shall be available to members of the public upon request. Failure to comply with the provisions of this section shall not be (i) a basis upon which an indictment<\/span> may be quashed or deemed invalid; (ii) deemed error upon which a conviction<\/span> may be reversed or a sentence vacated; or (iii) a basis upon which a court<\/span> may prevent or delay execution of a sentence.<\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nCENTRAL FILE OF AGGRAVATED MURDER INDICTMENTS (\u00a7 19.2-217.1)\n\nUpon the return by a grand jury of an indictment for aggravated murder and the\narrest of the defendant, the clerk of the circuit court in which such indictment\nis returned shall forthwith file a certified copy of the indictment with the\nclerk of the Supreme Court of Virginia. All such indictments shall be maintained\nin a single place by the clerk of the Supreme Court, and shall be available to\nmembers of the public upon request. Failure to comply with the provisions of\nthis section shall not be (i) a basis upon which an indictment may be quashed or\ndeemed invalid; (ii) deemed error upon which a conviction may be reversed or a\nsentence vacated; or (iii) a basis upon which a court may prevent or delay\nexecution of a sentence.\n\nHISTORY: 1993, c. 319; 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}}