{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/19.2-257.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/19.2-257.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/19.2-257.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/19.2-257.html"}],"law_id":66074,"edition_id":1,"section_id":66074,"structure_id":12804,"section_number":"19.2-257","catch_line":"Trial without jury in felony cases","history":"Code 1950, \u00a7 19.1-192; 1960, c. 366; 1975, c. 495.","full_text":"Upon a plea of guilty in a felony case, tendered in person by the accused after being advised by counsel, the court shall hear and determine the case without the intervention of a jury; or if the accused plead not guilty, with his consent after being advised by counsel and the concurrence of the attorney for the Commonwealth and of the court entered of record, the court shall hear and determine the case without the intervention of a jury. In such cases the court shall have and exercise all the powers, privileges and duties given to juries by any statute relating to crimes and punishments.","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":240073,"text":"Upon a plea of guilty in a felony case, tendered in person by the accused after being advised by counsel, the court shall hear and determine the case without the intervention of a jury; or if the accused plead not guilty, with his consent after being advised by counsel and the concurrence of the attorney for the Commonwealth and of the court entered of record, the court shall hear and determine the case without the intervention of a jury. In such cases the court shall have and exercise all the powers, privileges and duties given to juries by any statute relating to crimes and punishments.","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":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},"next_section":{"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},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/19.2-257\/","history_text":"

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":[{"id":67916,"section_number":"19.2-295.1","catch_line":"Sentencing proceeding by the jury after conviction","order_by":null,"url":"\/19.2-295.1\/"}],"refers_to":false,"permalink":{"id":169083,"object_type":"law","relational_id":66074,"identifier":"19.2-257","token":"19.2\/15\/3\/19.2-257","url":"\/19.2-257\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/19.2-257\/","token":"19.2\/15\/3\/19.2-257","dublin_core":{"Title":"Trial without jury in felony cases","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 19.2-257","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

Upon a plea<\/span> of guilty in a felony<\/span> case, tendered in person by the accused<\/span> after being advised by counsel<\/span>, the court<\/span> shall hear and determine the case without the intervention of a jury<\/span>; or if the accused<\/span> plead not guilty, with his consent after being advised by counsel<\/span> and the concurrence of the attorney for the Commonwealth and of the court<\/span> entered of record, the court<\/span> shall hear and determine the case without the intervention of a jury<\/span>. In such cases the court<\/span> shall have and exercise all the powers, privileges<\/span> and duties given to juries by any statute<\/span> relating to crimes<\/span> and punishments.<\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nTRIAL WITHOUT JURY IN FELONY CASES (\u00a7 19.2-257)\n\nUpon a plea of guilty in a felony case, tendered in person by the accused after\nbeing advised by counsel, the court shall hear and determine the case without\nthe intervention of a jury; or if the accused plead not guilty, with his consent\nafter being advised by counsel and the concurrence of the attorney for the\nCommonwealth and of the court entered of record, the court shall hear and\ndetermine the case without the intervention of a jury. In such cases the court\nshall have and exercise all the powers, privileges and duties given to juries by\nany statute relating to crimes and punishments.\n\nHISTORY: Code 1950, \u00a7 19.1-192; 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}}