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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>54717</law_id><section_number>16.1-242</section_number><catch_line>Retention of jurisdiction</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2025/" slug="2025" current="TRUE" last_updated="">2025</edition><referred_to_by><reference>16.1-259</reference><reference>9.1-151</reference></referred_to_by><structure><unit label="title" level="1" order_by="1" identifier="16.1">Courts Not of Record</unit><unit label="chapter" level="2" order_by="1" identifier="11">Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Courts</unit><unit label="article" level="3" order_by="1" identifier="3">Jurisdiction and Venue</unit></structure><text>
						<section><p>When <span class="dictionary">jurisdiction</span> has been obtained by <span class="dictionary">the court</span> in the case of any child, such <span class="dictionary">jurisdiction</span>, which includes the authority to suspend, reduce, modify, or dismiss the <span class="dictionary">disposition</span> of any juvenile adjudication, may be retained by <span class="dictionary">the court</span> until such person becomes 21 years of age, except when the person is in the <span class="dictionary">custody</span> of the <span class="dictionary">Department</span> or when <span class="dictionary">jurisdiction</span> is divested under the provisions of &#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Concurrent jurisdiction; exceptions" href="/16.1-244/">16.1-244</a>. In any event, when such person reaches the age of 21 and a <span class="dictionary">prosecution</span> has not been commenced against him, he shall be proceeded against as an <span class="dictionary">adult</span>, even if he was a juvenile when the <span class="dictionary">offense</span> was committed.</p></section></text><history>Code 1950, &#xA7; 16.1-159; 1956, c. 555; 1977, c. 559; 1978, c. 740; 1992, c. 509; 2018, c. 656.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
