{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/19.2-291.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/19.2-291.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/19.2-291.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/19.2-291.html"}],"law_id":59053,"edition_id":1,"section_id":59053,"structure_id":15495,"section_number":"19.2-291","catch_line":"Faulty counts; motion to strike; general verdict of guilty","history":"Code 1950, \u00a7 19.1-255; 1960, c. 366; 1975, c. 495.","full_text":"When there are several counts in the indictment one or more of which are faulty, the accused may move to strike the faulty count or counts or move the court to instruct the jury to disregard them. If he does neither and a general verdict of guilty is found, judgment shall be entered against the accused, if any count be good, though others be faulty, unless the court can plainly see that the verdict could not have been found on the good count. If the accused demurs to the faulty count or moves the court to instruct the jury to disregard it and his demurrer or motion is overruled and there is a general verdict of guilty and it cannot be seen on which count the verdict was founded, if the jury has been discharged, it shall be set aside; but if it is manifest that it could not have been found on the bad count, the verdict shall be allowed to stand.","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":216555,"text":"When there are several counts in the indictment one or more of which are faulty, the accused may move to strike the faulty count or counts or move the court to instruct the jury to disregard them. If he does neither and a general verdict of guilty is found, judgment shall be entered against the accused, if any count be good, though others be faulty, unless the court can plainly see that the verdict could not have been found on the good count. If the accused demurs to the faulty count or moves the court to instruct the jury to disregard it and his demurrer or motion is overruled and there is a general verdict of guilty and it cannot be seen on which count the verdict was founded, if the jury has been discharged, it shall be set aside; but if it is manifest that it could not have been found on the bad count, the verdict shall be allowed to stand.","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1}},"ancestry":[{"id":15495,"edition_id":1,"name":"Proof and Verdicts","identifier":"1","label":"article","depth":3,"order_by":1,"parent_id":14641,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:55:33","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:55:33","permalink":{"id":169375,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":15495,"identifier":"1","token":"19.2\/17\/1","url":"\/19.2\/17\/1\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":14641,"edition_id":1,"name":"Convictions; Effect Thereof","identifier":"17","label":"chapter","depth":2,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12801,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:49:03","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:49:03","permalink":{"id":169373,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":14641,"identifier":"17","token":"19.2\/17","url":"\/19.2\/17\/","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":65689,"structure_id":15495,"section_number":"19.2-283","catch_line":"How accused may be convicted of felony","url":"\/19.2-283\/","token":"19.2\/17\/1\/19.2-283","metadata":false},{"id":76546,"structure_id":15495,"section_number":"19.2-284","catch_line":"Proof of ownership in offense relating to property","url":"\/19.2-284\/","token":"19.2\/17\/1\/19.2-284","metadata":false},{"id":67043,"structure_id":15495,"section_number":"19.2-285","catch_line":"Accused guilty of part of offense charged; sentence; on new trial what tried","url":"\/19.2-285\/","token":"19.2\/17\/1\/19.2-285","metadata":false},{"id":73461,"structure_id":15495,"section_number":"19.2-286","catch_line":"Conviction of attempt or as accessory on indictment for felony; effect of general verdict of not guilty","url":"\/19.2-286\/","token":"19.2\/17\/1\/19.2-286","metadata":false},{"id":71541,"structure_id":15495,"section_number":"19.2-287","catch_line":"Verdict and judgment, when jury agree as to some and disagree as to others","url":"\/19.2-287\/","token":"19.2\/17\/1\/19.2-287","metadata":false},{"id":85556,"structure_id":15495,"section_number":"19.2-288","catch_line":"Verdict when accused found guilty of punishable homicide","url":"\/19.2-288\/","token":"19.2\/17\/1\/19.2-288","metadata":false},{"id":66841,"structure_id":15495,"section_number":"19.2-289","catch_line":"Conviction of petit larceny","url":"\/19.2-289\/","token":"19.2\/17\/1\/19.2-289","metadata":false},{"id":61419,"structure_id":15495,"section_number":"19.2-290","catch_line":"Conviction of petit larceny though thing stolen worth $1,000 or more","url":"\/19.2-290\/","token":"19.2\/17\/1\/19.2-290","metadata":false},{"id":59053,"structure_id":15495,"section_number":"19.2-291","catch_line":"Faulty counts; motion to strike; general verdict of guilty","url":"\/19.2-291\/","token":"19.2\/17\/1\/19.2-291","metadata":false},{"id":78867,"structure_id":15495,"section_number":"19.2-291.1","catch_line":"Report of conviction of school employees for certain offenses","url":"\/19.2-291.1\/","token":"19.2\/17\/1\/19.2-291.1","metadata":false}],"previous_section":{"id":61419,"structure_id":15495,"section_number":"19.2-290","catch_line":"Conviction of petit larceny though thing stolen worth $1,000 or more","url":"\/19.2-290\/","token":"19.2\/17\/1\/19.2-290","metadata":false},"next_section":{"id":78867,"structure_id":15495,"section_number":"19.2-291.1","catch_line":"Report of conviction of school employees for certain offenses","url":"\/19.2-291.1\/","token":"19.2\/17\/1\/19.2-291.1","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/19.2-291\/","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":false,"refers_to":false,"permalink":{"id":169409,"object_type":"law","relational_id":59053,"identifier":"19.2-291","token":"19.2\/17\/1\/19.2-291","url":"\/19.2-291\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/19.2-291\/","token":"19.2\/17\/1\/19.2-291","dublin_core":{"Title":"Faulty counts; motion to strike; general verdict of guilty","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 19.2-291","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

When there are several counts in the indictment<\/span> one or more of which are faulty, the accused<\/span> may move to strike the faulty count or counts or move the court<\/span> to instruct the jury<\/span> to disregard them. If he does neither and a general verdict<\/span> of guilty is found, judgment<\/span> shall be entered against the accused<\/span>, if any count be good, though others be faulty, unless the court<\/span> can plainly see that the verdict<\/span> could not have been found on the good count. If the accused<\/span> demurs to the faulty count or moves the court<\/span> to instruct the jury<\/span> to disregard it and his demurrer<\/span> or motion<\/span> is overruled and there is a general verdict<\/span> of guilty and it cannot be seen on which count the verdict<\/span> was founded, if the jury<\/span> has been discharged, it shall be set aside; but if it is manifest that it could not have been found on the bad count, the verdict<\/span> shall be allowed to stand.<\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nFAULTY COUNTS; MOTION TO STRIKE; GENERAL VERDICT OF GUILTY (\u00a7 19.2-291)\n\nWhen there are several counts in the indictment one or more of which are faulty,\nthe accused may move to strike the faulty count or counts or move the court to\ninstruct the jury to disregard them. If he does neither and a general verdict of\nguilty is found, judgment shall be entered against the accused, if any count be\ngood, though others be faulty, unless the court can plainly see that the verdict\ncould not have been found on the good count. If the accused demurs to the faulty\ncount or moves the court to instruct the jury to disregard it and his demurrer\nor motion is overruled and there is a general verdict of guilty and it cannot be\nseen on which count the verdict was founded, if the jury has been discharged, it\nshall be set aside; but if it is manifest that it could not have been found on\nthe bad count, the verdict shall be allowed to stand.\n\nHISTORY: Code 1950, \u00a7 19.1-255; 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}}