{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/19.2-255.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/19.2-255.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/19.2-255.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/19.2-255.html"}],"law_id":81531,"edition_id":1,"section_id":81531,"structure_id":12804,"section_number":"19.2-255","catch_line":"Defendant allowed to plead several matters of law or fact","history":"Code 1950, \u00a7 19.1-242; 1960, c. 366; 1975, c. 495.","full_text":"The defendant in any criminal prosecution may plead as many several matters, whether of law or fact, as he shall think necessary, and he may file pleas in bar at the same time with pleas in abatement, or within a reasonable time thereafter; but the issues on the pleas in abatement shall be first tried.","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":292049,"text":"The defendant in any criminal prosecution may plead as many several matters, whether of law or fact, as he shall think necessary, and he may file pleas in bar at the same time with pleas in abatement, or within a reasonable time thereafter; but the issues on the pleas in abatement shall be first tried.","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1}},"ancestry":[{"id":12804,"edition_id":1,"name":"Arraignment; Pleas; Trial Without Jury","identifier":"3","label":"article","depth":3,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12803,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:43:53","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:43:53","permalink":{"id":169061,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12804,"identifier":"3","token":"19.2\/15\/3","url":"\/19.2\/15\/3\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12803,"edition_id":1,"name":"Trial and Its Incidents","identifier":"15","label":"chapter","depth":2,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12801,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:43:53","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:43:53","permalink":{"id":168975,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12803,"identifier":"15","token":"19.2\/15","url":"\/19.2\/15\/","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":79103,"structure_id":12804,"section_number":"19.2-254","catch_line":"Arraignment; pleas; when court may refuse to accept plea; rejection of plea agreement; recusal","url":"\/19.2-254\/","token":"19.2\/15\/3\/19.2-254","metadata":false},{"id":75133,"structure_id":12804,"section_number":"19.2-254.1","catch_line":"Procedure in traffic infraction cases","url":"\/19.2-254.1\/","token":"19.2\/15\/3\/19.2-254.1","metadata":false},{"id":53970,"structure_id":12804,"section_number":"19.2-254.2","catch_line":"Procedure in nontraffic offenses for which prepayment is authorized","url":"\/19.2-254.2\/","token":"19.2\/15\/3\/19.2-254.2","metadata":false},{"id":81531,"structure_id":12804,"section_number":"19.2-255","catch_line":"Defendant allowed to plead several matters of law or fact","url":"\/19.2-255\/","token":"19.2\/15\/3\/19.2-255","metadata":false},{"id":72119,"structure_id":12804,"section_number":"19.2-256","catch_line":"Approvers","url":"\/19.2-256\/","token":"19.2\/15\/3\/19.2-256","metadata":false},{"id":66074,"structure_id":12804,"section_number":"19.2-257","catch_line":"Trial without jury in felony cases","url":"\/19.2-257\/","token":"19.2\/15\/3\/19.2-257","metadata":false},{"id":67559,"structure_id":12804,"section_number":"19.2-258","catch_line":"Trial of misdemeanors by court without jury; failure to appear deemed waiver of jury","url":"\/19.2-258\/","token":"19.2\/15\/3\/19.2-258","metadata":false},{"id":62674,"structure_id":12804,"section_number":"19.2-258.1","catch_line":"Trial of traffic infractions; measure of proof; failure to appear","url":"\/19.2-258.1\/","token":"19.2\/15\/3\/19.2-258.1","metadata":false},{"id":81110,"structure_id":12804,"section_number":"19.2-259","catch_line":"On trial for felony, accused to be present; when court may enter plea for him, and trial go on","url":"\/19.2-259\/","token":"19.2\/15\/3\/19.2-259","metadata":false}],"previous_section":{"id":53970,"structure_id":12804,"section_number":"19.2-254.2","catch_line":"Procedure in nontraffic offenses for which prepayment is authorized","url":"\/19.2-254.2\/","token":"19.2\/15\/3\/19.2-254.2","metadata":false},"next_section":{"id":72119,"structure_id":12804,"section_number":"19.2-256","catch_line":"Approvers","url":"\/19.2-256\/","token":"19.2\/15\/3\/19.2-256","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/19.2-255\/","history_text":"<p>The record of this law\u2019s original creation isn\u2019t available online. It has been modified 2 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 1960, chapter 366; in 1975, chapter 495.<\/p>","references":false,"refers_to":false,"permalink":{"id":169075,"object_type":"law","relational_id":81531,"identifier":"19.2-255","token":"19.2\/15\/3\/19.2-255","url":"\/19.2-255\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/19.2-255\/","token":"19.2\/15\/3\/19.2-255","dublin_core":{"Title":"Defendant allowed to plead several matters of law or fact","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 19.2-255","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<section><p>The <span class=\"dictionary\">defendant<\/span> in any criminal <span class=\"dictionary\">prosecution<\/span> may plead as many several matters, whether of <span class=\"dictionary\">law<\/span> or <span class=\"dictionary\">fact<\/span>, as he shall think necessary, and he may file <span class=\"dictionary\">pleas<\/span> in bar at the same time with <span class=\"dictionary\">pleas<\/span> in abatement, or within a reasonable time thereafter; but the <span class=\"dictionary\">issues<\/span> on the <span class=\"dictionary\">pleas<\/span> in abatement shall be first tried.<\/p><\/section>","plain_text":"                                 CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nDEFENDANT ALLOWED TO PLEAD SEVERAL MATTERS OF LAW OR FACT (\u00a7 19.2-255)\n\nThe defendant in any criminal prosecution may plead as many several matters,\nwhether of law or fact, as he shall think necessary, and he may file pleas in\nbar at the same time with pleas in abatement, or within a reasonable time\nthereafter; but the issues on the pleas in abatement shall be first tried.\n\nHISTORY: Code 1950, \u00a7 19.1-242; 1960, c. 366; 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}}