{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/19.2-280.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/19.2-280.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/19.2-280.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/19.2-280.html"}],"law_id":83404,"edition_id":1,"section_id":83404,"structure_id":14643,"section_number":"19.2-280","catch_line":"Exemption of such witnesses from arrest or service of process","history":"Code 1950, \u00a7 19.1-277; 1960, c. 366; 1975, c. 495.","full_text":"If a person comes into this Commonwealth in obedience to a summons directing him to attend and testify in this Commonwealth he shall not while in this Commonwealth pursuant to such summons be subject to arrest or the service of process, civil or criminal, in connection with matters which arose before his entrance into this Commonwealth under the summons.\n\t\tIf a person passes through this Commonwealth while going to another state in obedience to a summons to attend and testify in that state or while returning therefrom, he shall not while so passing through this Commonwealth be subject to arrest or the service of process, civil or criminal, in connection with matters which arose before his entrance into this Commonwealth under the summons.","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":298810,"text":"If a person comes into this Commonwealth in obedience to a summons directing him to attend and testify in this Commonwealth he shall not while in this Commonwealth pursuant to such summons be subject to arrest or the service of process, civil or criminal, in connection with matters which arose before his entrance into this Commonwealth under the summons.\n\t\tIf a person passes through this Commonwealth while going to another state in obedience to a summons to attend and testify in that state or while returning therefrom, he shall not while so passing through this Commonwealth be subject to arrest or the service of process, civil or criminal, in connection with matters which arose before his entrance into this Commonwealth under the summons.","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":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},"next_section":{"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},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/19.2-280\/","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":[{"id":62433,"section_number":"8.01-327.2","catch_line":"Who are privileged from arrest under civil process","order_by":null,"url":"\/8.01-327.2\/"}],"refers_to":false,"permalink":{"id":169361,"object_type":"law","relational_id":83404,"identifier":"19.2-280","token":"19.2\/16\/2\/19.2-280","url":"\/19.2-280\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/19.2-280\/","token":"19.2\/16\/2\/19.2-280","dublin_core":{"Title":"Exemption of such witnesses from arrest or service of process","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 19.2-280","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<section><p>If a person comes into this Commonwealth in obedience to a <span class=\"dictionary\">summons<\/span> directing him to attend and testify in this Commonwealth he shall not while in this Commonwealth pursuant to such <span class=\"dictionary\">summons<\/span> be subject to <span class=\"dictionary\">arrest<\/span> or the <span class=\"dictionary\">service of process<\/span>, civil or criminal, in connection with matters which arose before his entrance into this Commonwealth under the <span class=\"dictionary\">summons<\/span>.\n\t\tIf a person passes through this Commonwealth while going to another <span class=\"dictionary\">state<\/span> in obedience to a <span class=\"dictionary\">summons<\/span> to attend and testify in that <span class=\"dictionary\">state<\/span> or while returning therefrom, he shall not while so passing through this Commonwealth be subject to <span class=\"dictionary\">arrest<\/span> or the <span class=\"dictionary\">service of process<\/span>, civil or criminal, in connection with matters which arose before his entrance into this Commonwealth under the <span class=\"dictionary\">summons<\/span>.<\/p><\/section>","plain_text":"                                 CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nEXEMPTION OF SUCH WITNESSES FROM ARREST OR SERVICE OF PROCESS (\u00a7 19.2-280)\n\nIf a person comes into this Commonwealth in obedience to a summons directing him\nto attend and testify in this Commonwealth he shall not while in this\nCommonwealth pursuant to such summons be subject to arrest or the service of\nprocess, civil or criminal, in connection with matters which arose before his\nentrance into this Commonwealth under the summons.\n\t\tIf a person passes through this Commonwealth while going to another state in\nobedience to a summons to attend and testify in that state or while returning\ntherefrom, he shall not while so passing through this Commonwealth be subject to\narrest or the service of process, civil or criminal, in connection with matters\nwhich arose before his entrance into this Commonwealth under the summons.\n\nHISTORY: Code 1950, \u00a7 19.1-277; 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}}