{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/19.2-277.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/19.2-277.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/19.2-277.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/19.2-277.html"}],"law_id":69920,"edition_id":1,"section_id":69920,"structure_id":14643,"section_number":"19.2-277","catch_line":"Summoning witnesses in another state to testify in this Commonwealth","history":"Code 1950, \u00a7 19.1-274; 1960, c. 366; 1975, c. 495.","full_text":"If a person in any state which by its laws has made provision for commanding persons within its borders to attend and testify in criminal prosecutions or grand jury investigations commenced or about to commence in this Commonwealth is a material witness in a prosecution pending in a court of record in this Commonwealth, or in a grand jury investigation which has commenced or is about to commence, a judge of such court may issue a certificate under the seal of the court stating these facts and specifying the number of days the witness will be required. The certificate may include a recommendation that the witness be taken into immediate custody and delivered to an officer of this Commonwealth to assure his attendance in this Commonwealth. This certificate shall be presented to a judge of a court of record in the county in which the witness is found.","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":252657,"text":"If a person in any state which by its laws has made provision for commanding persons within its borders to attend and testify in criminal prosecutions or grand jury investigations commenced or about to commence in this Commonwealth is a material witness in a prosecution pending in a court of record in this Commonwealth, or in a grand jury investigation which has commenced or is about to commence, a judge of such court may issue a certificate under the seal of the court stating these facts and specifying the number of days the witness will be required. The certificate may include a recommendation that the witness be taken into immediate custody and delivered to an officer of this Commonwealth to assure his attendance in this Commonwealth. This certificate shall be presented to a judge of a court of record in the county in which the witness is found.","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1}},"ancestry":[{"id":14643,"edition_id":1,"name":"Witnesses From or for Another State","identifier":"2","label":"article","depth":3,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12961,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:49:03","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:49:03","permalink":{"id":169327,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":14643,"identifier":"2","token":"19.2\/16\/2","url":"\/19.2\/16\/2\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12961,"edition_id":1,"name":"Evidence and Witnesses","identifier":"16","label":"chapter","depth":2,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12801,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:44:04","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:44:04","permalink":{"id":169211,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12961,"identifier":"16","token":"19.2\/16","url":"\/19.2\/16\/","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":82386,"structure_id":14643,"section_number":"19.2-272","catch_line":"Definitions","url":"\/19.2-272\/","token":"19.2\/16\/2\/19.2-272","metadata":false},{"id":86785,"structure_id":14643,"section_number":"19.2-273","catch_line":"Certificate that witness is needed in another state; hearing","url":"\/19.2-273\/","token":"19.2\/16\/2\/19.2-273","metadata":false},{"id":73112,"structure_id":14643,"section_number":"19.2-274","catch_line":"When court to order witness to attend","url":"\/19.2-274\/","token":"19.2\/16\/2\/19.2-274","metadata":false},{"id":81271,"structure_id":14643,"section_number":"19.2-275","catch_line":"Arrest of witness","url":"\/19.2-275\/","token":"19.2\/16\/2\/19.2-275","metadata":false},{"id":62401,"structure_id":14643,"section_number":"19.2-276","catch_line":"Penalty for failure to attend and testify","url":"\/19.2-276\/","token":"19.2\/16\/2\/19.2-276","metadata":false},{"id":69920,"structure_id":14643,"section_number":"19.2-277","catch_line":"Summoning witnesses in another state to testify in this Commonwealth","url":"\/19.2-277\/","token":"19.2\/16\/2\/19.2-277","metadata":false},{"id":57558,"structure_id":14643,"section_number":"19.2-278","catch_line":"Reimbursement for daily mileage to such witnesses; issuance of warrant necessary to make tender","url":"\/19.2-278\/","token":"19.2\/16\/2\/19.2-278","metadata":false},{"id":66615,"structure_id":14643,"section_number":"19.2-279","catch_line":"Penalty for failure of such witnesses to testify","url":"\/19.2-279\/","token":"19.2\/16\/2\/19.2-279","metadata":false},{"id":83404,"structure_id":14643,"section_number":"19.2-280","catch_line":"Exemption of such witnesses from arrest or service of process","url":"\/19.2-280\/","token":"19.2\/16\/2\/19.2-280","metadata":false},{"id":76446,"structure_id":14643,"section_number":"19.2-281","catch_line":"Construction of article","url":"\/19.2-281\/","token":"19.2\/16\/2\/19.2-281","metadata":false},{"id":56204,"structure_id":14643,"section_number":"19.2-282","catch_line":"How article cited","url":"\/19.2-282\/","token":"19.2\/16\/2\/19.2-282","metadata":false}],"previous_section":{"id":62401,"structure_id":14643,"section_number":"19.2-276","catch_line":"Penalty for failure to attend and testify","url":"\/19.2-276\/","token":"19.2\/16\/2\/19.2-276","metadata":false},"next_section":{"id":57558,"structure_id":14643,"section_number":"19.2-278","catch_line":"Reimbursement for daily mileage to such witnesses; issuance of warrant necessary to make tender","url":"\/19.2-278\/","token":"19.2\/16\/2\/19.2-278","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/19.2-277\/","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":57558,"section_number":"19.2-278","catch_line":"Reimbursement for daily mileage to such witnesses; issuance of warrant necessary to make tender","order_by":null,"url":"\/19.2-278\/"}],"refers_to":false,"permalink":{"id":169349,"object_type":"law","relational_id":69920,"identifier":"19.2-277","token":"19.2\/16\/2\/19.2-277","url":"\/19.2-277\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/19.2-277\/","token":"19.2\/16\/2\/19.2-277","dublin_core":{"Title":"Summoning witnesses in another state to testify in this Commonwealth","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 19.2-277","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

If a person in any state<\/span> which by its laws<\/span> has made provision for commanding persons within its borders to attend and testify in criminal prosecutions<\/span> or grand jury<\/span> investigations commenced or about to commence in this Commonwealth is a material witness<\/span> in a prosecution<\/span> pending in a court<\/span> of record in this Commonwealth, or in a grand jury<\/span> investigation which has commenced or is about to commence, a judge<\/span> of such court<\/span> may issue<\/span> a certificate under the seal of the court<\/span> stating these facts<\/span> and specifying the number of days the witness will be required. The certificate may include a recommendation that the witness be taken into immediate custody<\/span> and delivered to an officer of this Commonwealth to assure his attendance in this Commonwealth. This certificate shall be presented to a judge<\/span> of a court<\/span> of record in the county in which the witness is found.<\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nSUMMONING WITNESSES IN ANOTHER STATE TO TESTIFY IN THIS COMMONWEALTH (\u00a7\n19.2-277)\n\nIf a person in any state which by its laws has made provision for commanding\npersons within its borders to attend and testify in criminal prosecutions or\ngrand jury investigations commenced or about to commence in this Commonwealth is\na material witness in a prosecution pending in a court of record in this\nCommonwealth, or in a grand jury investigation which has commenced or is about\nto commence, a judge of such court may issue a certificate under the seal of the\ncourt stating these facts and specifying the number of days the witness will be\nrequired. The certificate may include a recommendation that the witness be taken\ninto immediate custody and delivered to an officer of this Commonwealth to\nassure his attendance in this Commonwealth. This certificate shall be presented\nto a judge of a court of record in the county in which the witness is found.\n\nHISTORY: Code 1950, \u00a7 19.1-274; 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}}