{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/19.2-265.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/19.2-265.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/19.2-265.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/19.2-265.html"}],"law_id":56724,"edition_id":1,"section_id":56724,"structure_id":13621,"section_number":"19.2-265","catch_line":"Opening statement of counsel","history":"Code 1950, \u00a7 19.1-245; 1960, c. 366; 1975, c. 495.","full_text":"On the trial of any case of felony or misdemeanor and before any evidence is submitted on either side, the attorney for the Commonwealth and counsel for the accused, respectively, shall have the right to make an opening statement of their case.","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":207547,"text":"On the trial of any case of felony or misdemeanor and before any evidence is submitted on either side, the attorney for the Commonwealth and counsel for the accused, respectively, shall have the right to make an opening statement of their case.","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}],"next_section":{"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},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/19.2-265\/","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":169159,"object_type":"law","relational_id":56724,"identifier":"19.2-265","token":"19.2\/15\/5\/19.2-265","url":"\/19.2-265\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/19.2-265\/","token":"19.2\/15\/5\/19.2-265","dublin_core":{"Title":"Opening statement of counsel","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 19.2-265","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<section><p>On the <span class=\"dictionary\">trial<\/span> of any case of <span class=\"dictionary\">felony<\/span> or <span class=\"dictionary\">misdemeanor<\/span> and before any <span class=\"dictionary\">evidence<\/span> is submitted on either side, the attorney for the Commonwealth and <span class=\"dictionary\">counsel<\/span> for the <span class=\"dictionary\">accused<\/span>, respectively, shall have the right to make an <span class=\"dictionary\">opening statement<\/span> of their case.<\/p><\/section>","plain_text":"                                 CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nOPENING STATEMENT OF COUNSEL (\u00a7 19.2-265)\n\nOn the trial of any case of felony or misdemeanor and before any evidence is\nsubmitted on either side, the attorney for the Commonwealth and counsel for the\naccused, respectively, shall have the right to make an opening statement of\ntheir case.\n\nHISTORY: Code 1950, \u00a7 19.1-245; 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}}