{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/3.2-5141.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/3.2-5141.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/3.2-5141.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/3.2-5141.html"}],"law_id":75162,"edition_id":1,"section_id":75162,"structure_id":14568,"section_number":"3.2-5141","catch_line":"General duty of attorneys for the Commonwealth; compensation","history":"Code 1950, \u00a7\u00a7 3-321, 3-336; 1966, c. 702, \u00a7\u00a7 3.1-401, 3.1-415; 1972, c. 741; 2008, c. 860.","full_text":"Whenever a violation of any laws governing the manufacture and preparation for sale, storage, and sale of articles used as food or condiment by human beings or animals, commonly known as the “pure food” and “feeding stuffs laws,” is reported by the Commissioner to any attorney for the Commonwealth it shall be the duty of the attorney for the Commonwealth to commence proceedings and prosecute without delay for the fines and penalties in cases prescribed and upon the termination of such proceedings to report in detail to the Commissioner, the results.\n\t\tFor every conviction in any case instituted by any attorney for the Commonwealth upon the complaint of the Commissioner, the attorney for the Commonwealth prosecuting any such case, after he has reported the results to the Commissioner, shall be entitled to a fee of $10 that shall be taxed as a part of the costs in the case, as costs are taxed in other criminal cases, and execution issued therefor against the defendant; and the fee shall be paid notwithstanding any law to the contrary limiting or prescribing the compensation and fees of attorneys for the Commonwealth.\n\t\tIn any case of a sale or delivery of goods in violation of the provisions of the pure food or feeding stuffs laws, the person making such sale or delivery, may be prosecuted either in the county or city where the sale or delivery originated, or in the county or city where the illegal goods were found by the Commissioner.","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":269905,"text":"Whenever a violation of any laws governing the manufacture and preparation for sale, storage, and sale of articles used as food or condiment by human beings or animals, commonly known as the “pure food” and “feeding stuffs laws,” is reported by the Commissioner to any attorney for the Commonwealth it shall be the duty of the attorney for the Commonwealth to commence proceedings and prosecute without delay for the fines and penalties in cases prescribed and upon the termination of such proceedings to report in detail to the Commissioner, the results.\n\t\tFor every conviction in any case instituted by any attorney for the Commonwealth upon the complaint of the Commissioner, the attorney for the Commonwealth prosecuting any such case, after he has reported the results to the Commissioner, shall be entitled to a fee of $10 that shall be taxed as a part of the costs in the case, as costs are taxed in other criminal cases, and execution issued therefor against the defendant; and the fee shall be paid notwithstanding any law to the contrary limiting or prescribing the compensation and fees of attorneys for the Commonwealth.\n\t\tIn any case of a sale or delivery of goods in violation of the provisions of the pure food or feeding stuffs laws, the person making such sale or delivery, may be prosecuted either in the county or city where the sale or delivery originated, or in the county or city where the illegal goods were found by the Commissioner.","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1}},"ancestry":[{"id":14568,"edition_id":1,"name":"Seizures, Prosecutions, Penalties, and Enforcement","identifier":"4","label":"article","depth":4,"order_by":1,"parent_id":14561,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:48:41","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:48:41","permalink":{"id":197255,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":14568,"identifier":"4","token":"3.2\/IV\/51\/4","url":"\/3.2\/IV\/51\/4\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":14561,"edition_id":1,"name":"Food and Drink","identifier":"51","label":"chapter","depth":3,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12965,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:48:40","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:48:40","permalink":{"id":197127,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":14561,"identifier":"51","token":"3.2\/IV\/51","url":"\/3.2\/IV\/51\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12965,"edition_id":1,"name":"Food and Drink; Weights and Measures","identifier":"IV","label":"subtitle","depth":2,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12793,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:44:05","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:44:05","permalink":{"id":197125,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12965,"identifier":"IV","token":"3.2\/IV","url":"\/3.2\/IV\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12793,"edition_id":1,"name":"Agriculture, Animal Care, and Food","identifier":"3.2","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":193939,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12793,"identifier":"3.2","token":"3.2","url":"\/3.2\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}}],"structure_contents":[{"id":58815,"structure_id":14568,"section_number":"3.2-5129","catch_line":"Definition of term \"food.\"","url":"\/3.2-5129\/","token":"3.2\/IV\/51\/4\/3.2-5129","metadata":false},{"id":59766,"structure_id":14568,"section_number":"3.2-5130","catch_line":"Inspections required to operate food establishment","url":"\/3.2-5130\/","token":"3.2\/IV\/51\/4\/3.2-5130","metadata":false},{"id":75024,"structure_id":14568,"section_number":"3.2-5131","catch_line":"Right to enter and take samples","url":"\/3.2-5131\/","token":"3.2\/IV\/51\/4\/3.2-5131","metadata":false},{"id":76586,"structure_id":14568,"section_number":"3.2-5132","catch_line":"Notice and warning to place premises in sanitary condition","url":"\/3.2-5132\/","token":"3.2\/IV\/51\/4\/3.2-5132","metadata":false},{"id":64659,"structure_id":14568,"section_number":"3.2-5133","catch_line":"Failure to obey such notice and warning a misdemeanor","url":"\/3.2-5133\/","token":"3.2\/IV\/51\/4\/3.2-5133","metadata":false},{"id":82806,"structure_id":14568,"section_number":"3.2-5134","catch_line":"Condemnation of unsafe food by Commissioner","url":"\/3.2-5134\/","token":"3.2\/IV\/51\/4\/3.2-5134","metadata":false},{"id":75373,"structure_id":14568,"section_number":"3.2-5135","catch_line":"Authority to seize food and dairy products; analysis; disposition of remainder","url":"\/3.2-5135\/","token":"3.2\/IV\/51\/4\/3.2-5135","metadata":false},{"id":72080,"structure_id":14568,"section_number":"3.2-5136","catch_line":"Purchase of samples for analysis","url":"\/3.2-5136\/","token":"3.2\/IV\/51\/4\/3.2-5136","metadata":false},{"id":56211,"structure_id":14568,"section_number":"3.2-5137","catch_line":"Proceeding for forfeiture","url":"\/3.2-5137\/","token":"3.2\/IV\/51\/4\/3.2-5137","metadata":false},{"id":76257,"structure_id":14568,"section_number":"3.2-5138","catch_line":"Judgment as to goods seized; procedure before an appropriate court; appeal","url":"\/3.2-5138\/","token":"3.2\/IV\/51\/4\/3.2-5138","metadata":false},{"id":84491,"structure_id":14568,"section_number":"3.2-5139","catch_line":"Disposition of proceeds from sale of such goods","url":"\/3.2-5139\/","token":"3.2\/IV\/51\/4\/3.2-5139","metadata":false},{"id":59638,"structure_id":14568,"section_number":"3.2-5140","catch_line":"Attorney for the Commonwealth to render legal assistance","url":"\/3.2-5140\/","token":"3.2\/IV\/51\/4\/3.2-5140","metadata":false},{"id":75162,"structure_id":14568,"section_number":"3.2-5141","catch_line":"General duty of attorneys for the Commonwealth; compensation","url":"\/3.2-5141\/","token":"3.2\/IV\/51\/4\/3.2-5141","metadata":false},{"id":81702,"structure_id":14568,"section_number":"3.2-5142","catch_line":"Punishment for hindering Commissioner","url":"\/3.2-5142\/","token":"3.2\/IV\/51\/4\/3.2-5142","metadata":false},{"id":56040,"structure_id":14568,"section_number":"3.2-5143","catch_line":"Enforcement against companies","url":"\/3.2-5143\/","token":"3.2\/IV\/51\/4\/3.2-5143","metadata":false},{"id":72613,"structure_id":14568,"section_number":"3.2-5144","catch_line":"Exemption from civil and criminal liability in certain cases","url":"\/3.2-5144\/","token":"3.2\/IV\/51\/4\/3.2-5144","metadata":false},{"id":76620,"structure_id":14568,"section_number":"3.2-5145","catch_line":"Punishment for failure to comply with requirements of certain chapters","url":"\/3.2-5145\/","token":"3.2\/IV\/51\/4\/3.2-5145","metadata":false}],"previous_section":{"id":59638,"structure_id":14568,"section_number":"3.2-5140","catch_line":"Attorney for the Commonwealth to render legal assistance","url":"\/3.2-5140\/","token":"3.2\/IV\/51\/4\/3.2-5140","metadata":false},"next_section":{"id":81702,"structure_id":14568,"section_number":"3.2-5142","catch_line":"Punishment for hindering Commissioner","url":"\/3.2-5142\/","token":"3.2\/IV\/51\/4\/3.2-5142","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/3.2-5141\/","history_text":"

The record of this law\u2019s original creation isn\u2019t available online. It has been modified 3 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 1966, chapter 702; in 1972, chapter 741; in 2008, chapter 860<\/a>.<\/p>","references":false,"refers_to":false,"permalink":{"id":197305,"object_type":"law","relational_id":75162,"identifier":"3.2-5141","token":"3.2\/IV\/51\/4\/3.2-5141","url":"\/3.2-5141\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/3.2-5141\/","token":"3.2\/IV\/51\/4\/3.2-5141","dublin_core":{"Title":"General duty of attorneys for the Commonwealth; compensation","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 3.2-5141","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

Whenever a violation of any laws<\/span> governing the manufacture and preparation for sale, storage, and sale of articles used as food or condiment by human beings or animals, commonly known as the “pure food” and “feeding stuffs laws<\/span>,” is reported by the Commissioner<\/span> to any attorney for the Commonwealth it shall be the duty of the attorney for the Commonwealth to commence proceedings and prosecute<\/span> without delay for the fines and penalties in cases prescribed and upon the termination of such proceedings to report in detail to the Commissioner<\/span>, the results.\n\t\tFor every conviction<\/span> in any case instituted by any attorney for the Commonwealth upon the complaint of the Commissioner<\/span>, the attorney for the Commonwealth prosecuting any such case, after he has reported the results to the Commissioner<\/span>, shall be entitled to a fee of $10 that shall be taxed as a part of the costs in the case, as costs are taxed in other criminal cases, and execution issued therefor against the defendant<\/span>; and the fee shall be paid notwithstanding any law<\/span> to the contrary limiting or prescribing the compensation and fees of attorneys for the Commonwealth.\n\t\tIn any case of a sale or delivery of goods in violation of the provisions of the pure food or feeding stuffs laws<\/span>, the person making such sale or delivery, may be prosecuted either in the county or city where the sale or delivery originated, or in the county or city where the illegal goods were found by the Commissioner<\/span>.<\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nGENERAL DUTY OF ATTORNEYS FOR THE COMMONWEALTH; COMPENSATION (\u00a7 3.2-5141)\n\nWhenever a violation of any laws governing the manufacture and preparation for\nsale, storage, and sale of articles used as food or condiment by human beings or\nanimals, commonly known as the “pure food” and “feeding stuffs\nlaws,” is reported by the Commissioner to any attorney for the\nCommonwealth it shall be the duty of the attorney for the Commonwealth to\ncommence proceedings and prosecute without delay for the fines and penalties in\ncases prescribed and upon the termination of such proceedings to report in\ndetail to the Commissioner, the results.\n\t\tFor every conviction in any case instituted by any attorney for the\nCommonwealth upon the complaint of the Commissioner, the attorney for the\nCommonwealth prosecuting any such case, after he has reported the results to the\nCommissioner, shall be entitled to a fee of $10 that shall be taxed as a part of\nthe costs in the case, as costs are taxed in other criminal cases, and execution\nissued therefor against the defendant; and the fee shall be paid notwithstanding\nany law to the contrary limiting or prescribing the compensation and fees of\nattorneys for the Commonwealth.\n\t\tIn any case of a sale or delivery of goods in violation of the provisions of\nthe pure food or feeding stuffs laws, the person making such sale or delivery,\nmay be prosecuted either in the county or city where the sale or delivery\noriginated, or in the county or city where the illegal goods were found by the\nCommissioner.\n\nHISTORY: Code 1950, \u00a7\u00a7 3-321, 3-336; 1966, c. 702, \u00a7\u00a7 3.1-401, 3.1-415;\n1972, c. 741; 2008, c. 860.","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}}