{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/19.2-265.5.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/19.2-265.5.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/19.2-265.5.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/19.2-265.5.html"}],"law_id":54730,"edition_id":1,"section_id":54730,"structure_id":13621,"section_number":"19.2-265.5","catch_line":"Prosecuting misdemeanor cases without attorney","history":"1987, c. 659.","full_text":"Notwithstanding any of the provisions of \u00a7 19.2-265.1, whenever in a misdemeanor case neither an attorney for the Commonwealth nor any other attorney for the prosecution is present, the complaining witness may be allowed to remain in court throughout the entire trial if necessary for the orderly presentation of witnesses for the prosecution.","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":200929,"text":"Notwithstanding any of the provisions of \u00a7 19.2-265.1, whenever in a misdemeanor case neither an attorney for the Commonwealth nor any other attorney for the prosecution is present, the complaining witness may be allowed to remain in court throughout the entire trial if necessary for the orderly presentation of witnesses for the prosecution.","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1}},"ancestry":[{"id":13621,"edition_id":1,"name":"Miscellaneous Provisions","identifier":"5","label":"article","depth":3,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12803,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:45:24","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:45:24","permalink":{"id":169157,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":13621,"identifier":"5","token":"19.2\/15\/5","url":"\/19.2\/15\/5\/","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":56724,"structure_id":13621,"section_number":"19.2-265","catch_line":"Opening statement of counsel","url":"\/19.2-265\/","token":"19.2\/15\/5\/19.2-265","metadata":false},{"id":85173,"structure_id":13621,"section_number":"19.2-265.01","catch_line":"Victims, certain members of the family and support persons not to be excluded","url":"\/19.2-265.01\/","token":"19.2\/15\/5\/19.2-265.01","metadata":false},{"id":54588,"structure_id":13621,"section_number":"19.2-265.1","catch_line":"Exclusion of witnesses (Subsection (a) of Supreme Court Rule 2:615 derived in part from this section and subsection (c) of Supreme Court Rule 2:615 derived from this section)","url":"\/19.2-265.1\/","token":"19.2\/15\/5\/19.2-265.1","metadata":false},{"id":62995,"structure_id":13621,"section_number":"19.2-265.2","catch_line":"Judicial notice of laws (Supreme Court Rule 2:202 derived in part from this section)","url":"\/19.2-265.2\/","token":"19.2\/15\/5\/19.2-265.2","metadata":false},{"id":78352,"structure_id":13621,"section_number":"19.2-265.3","catch_line":"Nolle prosequi; discretion of court upon good cause shown","url":"\/19.2-265.3\/","token":"19.2\/15\/5\/19.2-265.3","metadata":false},{"id":79731,"structure_id":13621,"section_number":"19.2-265.4","catch_line":"Failure to provide discovery","url":"\/19.2-265.4\/","token":"19.2\/15\/5\/19.2-265.4","metadata":false},{"id":54730,"structure_id":13621,"section_number":"19.2-265.5","catch_line":"Prosecuting misdemeanor cases without attorney","url":"\/19.2-265.5\/","token":"19.2\/15\/5\/19.2-265.5","metadata":false},{"id":66348,"structure_id":13621,"section_number":"19.2-265.6","catch_line":"Dismissal of criminal charges on Commonwealth's motion; effect of dismissal of criminal charges","url":"\/19.2-265.6\/","token":"19.2\/15\/5\/19.2-265.6","metadata":false},{"id":73702,"structure_id":13621,"section_number":"19.2-266","catch_line":"Exclusion of persons from trial; photographs and broadcasting permitted under designated guidelines; exceptions","url":"\/19.2-266\/","token":"19.2\/15\/5\/19.2-266","metadata":false},{"id":79118,"structure_id":13621,"section_number":"19.2-266.1","catch_line":"Conviction of lesser offense on indictment for homicide","url":"\/19.2-266.1\/","token":"19.2\/15\/5\/19.2-266.1","metadata":false},{"id":86223,"structure_id":13621,"section_number":"19.2-266.2","catch_line":"Defense objections to be raised before trial; hearing; bill of particulars","url":"\/19.2-266.2\/","token":"19.2\/15\/5\/19.2-266.2","metadata":false},{"id":70813,"structure_id":13621,"section_number":"19.2-266.3","catch_line":"Continuances; appearances of parties","url":"\/19.2-266.3\/","token":"19.2\/15\/5\/19.2-266.3","metadata":false},{"id":60932,"structure_id":13621,"section_number":"19.2-266.4","catch_line":"Expert assistance for indigent defendants","url":"\/19.2-266.4\/","token":"19.2\/15\/5\/19.2-266.4","metadata":false}],"previous_section":{"id":79731,"structure_id":13621,"section_number":"19.2-265.4","catch_line":"Failure to provide discovery","url":"\/19.2-265.4\/","token":"19.2\/15\/5\/19.2-265.4","metadata":false},"next_section":{"id":66348,"structure_id":13621,"section_number":"19.2-265.6","catch_line":"Dismissal of criminal charges on Commonwealth's motion; effect of dismissal of criminal charges","url":"\/19.2-265.6\/","token":"19.2\/15\/5\/19.2-265.6","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/19.2-265.5\/","history_text":"<p>This law was first created in 1987. The record of its establishment is cataloged in chapter 659 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 1987 \u201cActs\u201d aren\u2019t available online.<\/p>","references":false,"refers_to":[{"id":54588,"section_number":"19.2-265.1","catch_line":"Exclusion of witnesses (Subsection (a) of Supreme Court Rule 2:615 derived in part from this section and subsection (c) of Supreme Court Rule 2:615 derived from this section)","order_by":null,"url":"\/19.2-265.1\/"}],"permalink":{"id":169183,"object_type":"law","relational_id":54730,"identifier":"19.2-265.5","token":"19.2\/15\/5\/19.2-265.5","url":"\/19.2-265.5\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/19.2-265.5\/","token":"19.2\/15\/5\/19.2-265.5","dublin_core":{"Title":"Prosecuting misdemeanor cases without attorney","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 19.2-265.5","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<section><p>Notwithstanding any of the provisions of \u00a7&nbsp;<a class=\"law\" title=\"Exclusion of witnesses (Subsection (a) of Supreme Court Rule 2:615 derived in part from this section and subsection (c) of Supreme Court Rule 2:615 derived from this section)\" href=\"\/19.2-265.1\/\">19.2-265.1<\/a>, whenever in a <span class=\"dictionary\">misdemeanor<\/span> case neither an attorney for the Commonwealth nor any other attorney for the <span class=\"dictionary\">prosecution<\/span> is present, the complaining <span class=\"dictionary\">witness<\/span> may be allowed to remain in <span class=\"dictionary\">court<\/span> throughout the entire <span class=\"dictionary\">trial<\/span> if necessary for the orderly presentation of witnesses for the <span class=\"dictionary\">prosecution<\/span>.<\/p><\/section>","plain_text":"                                 CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nPROSECUTING MISDEMEANOR CASES WITHOUT ATTORNEY (\u00a7 19.2-265.5)\n\nNotwithstanding any of the provisions of \u00a7 19.2-265.1, whenever in a\nmisdemeanor case neither an attorney for the Commonwealth nor any other attorney\nfor the prosecution is present, the complaining witness may be allowed to remain\nin court throughout the entire trial if necessary for the orderly presentation\nof witnesses for the prosecution.\n\nHISTORY: 1987, c. 659.","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}}