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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>63958</law_id><section_number>16.1-292</section_number><catch_line>Violation of court order by any person</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2025/" slug="2025" current="TRUE" last_updated="">2025</edition><referred_to_by><reference>16.1-228</reference><reference>16.1-278.5</reference><reference>16.1-291</reference><reference>18.2-477.1</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="10">Probation and Parole</unit></structure><text>
						<section id="A"><p><span class="prefix-number">A.</span> Any person violating an order of the <span class="dictionary">juvenile court</span> entered pursuant to &#xA7;&#xA7; <a class="law" title="Abused, neglected, or abandoned children or children without parental care" href="/16.1-278.2/">16.1-278.2</a> through <a class="law" title="Attorney fees" href="/16.1-278.19/">16.1-278.19</a> or &#xA7; <a class="law" title="When adult sentenced for juvenile offense" href="/16.1-284/">16.1-284</a>, including a parent subject to an order issued pursuant to subdivision A 3 of &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Delinquent juveniles" href="/16.1-278.8/">16.1-278.8</a>, may be proceeded against (i) by an order requiring the person to show cause why the order of <span class="dictionary">the court</span> entered pursuant to &#xA7;&#xA7; <a class="law" title="Abused, neglected, or abandoned children or children without parental care" href="/16.1-278.2/">16.1-278.2</a> through <a class="law" title="Attorney fees" href="/16.1-278.19/">16.1-278.19</a> has not been complied with, (ii) for <span class="dictionary">contempt of court</span> pursuant to &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Contempt of court" href="/16.1-69.24/">16.1-69.24</a> or as otherwise provided in this section, or (iii) by both. Except as otherwise expressly provided herein, nothing in this chapter shall deprive <span class="dictionary">the court</span> of its power to punish summarily for contempt for such acts as set forth in &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Cases in which courts and judges may punish summarily for contempt" href="/18.2-456/">18.2-456</a>, or to punish for contempt after notice and an opportunity for a <span class="dictionary">hearing</span> on the contempt except that confinement in the case of a juvenile shall be in a <span class="dictionary">secure facility</span> for juveniles rather than in <span class="dictionary">jail</span> and shall not exceed a period of seven days for each <span class="dictionary">offense</span>. However, if the person violating the order was a juvenile at the time of the original act and is 18 years of age or older when <span class="dictionary">the court</span> enters a <span class="dictionary">disposition</span> for violation of the order, <span class="dictionary">the judge</span> may order confinement in <span class="dictionary">jail</span>. If a juvenile is found to have violated a <span class="dictionary">court order</span> as a <span class="dictionary">status offender</span>, any order of <span class="dictionary">disposition</span> of such violation confining the juvenile in a <span class="dictionary">secure facility</span> for juveniles shall (a) identify the valid <span class="dictionary">court order</span> that has been violated; (b) specify the factual basis for determining that there is reasonable cause to believe that the juvenile has violated such order; (c) state the <span class="dictionary">findings</span> of <span class="dictionary">fact</span> that support a determination that there is no appropriate less restrictive alternative available to placing the juvenile in such a facility, with due consideration to the best interest of the juvenile; (d) specify the length of time of such confinement, not to exceed seven days; and (e) include a plan for the juvenile&#x2019;s release from such facility. Such order of confinement shall not be renewed or extended. <a id="paragraph-232914" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/16.1-292/#A"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="B"><p><span class="prefix-number">B.</span> Upon <span class="dictionary">conviction</span> of any <span class="dictionary">party</span> for <span class="dictionary">contempt of court</span> in failing or refusing to comply with an order of a <span class="dictionary">juvenile court</span> for spousal support or child support under &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Custody or visitation, child or spousal support generally" href="/16.1-278.15/">16.1-278.15</a>, <span class="dictionary">the court</span> may commit and sentence such <span class="dictionary">party</span> to confinement in a <span class="dictionary">jail</span>, workhouse, city farm, or work squad as provided in &#xA7;&#xA7; <a class="law" title="Desertion or nonsupport of wife, husband or children in necessitous circumstances" href="/20-61/">20-61</a> and <a class="law" title="Commitment to workhouse, city farm or work squad for such desertion" href="/20-62/">20-62</a>, for a fixed or indeterminate period or until the further order of <span class="dictionary">the court</span>. In no event, however, shall such sentence be imposed for a period of more than 12 months. The sum or sums as provided for in &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Support payments by county or city" href="/20-63/">20-63</a> shall be paid as therein set forth, to be used for the support and maintenance of the spouse or the child or children for whose benefit such order or <span class="dictionary">decree</span> provided. <a id="paragraph-232915" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/16.1-292/#B"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="C"><p><span class="prefix-number">C.</span> Notwithstanding the contempt power of <span class="dictionary">the court</span>, <span class="dictionary">the court</span> shall be limited in the actions it may take with respect to a child violating the terms and conditions of an order to those which <span class="dictionary">the court</span> could have taken at the time of <span class="dictionary">the court</span>&#x2019;s original <span class="dictionary">disposition</span> pursuant to &#xA7;&#xA7; <a class="law" title="Abused, neglected, or abandoned children or children without parental care" href="/16.1-278.2/">16.1-278.2</a> through <a class="law" title="Traffic infractions" href="/16.1-278.10/">16.1-278.10</a>, except as hereinafter provided. However, this limitation shall not be construed to deprive <span class="dictionary">the court</span> of its power to (i) punish a child summarily for contempt for acts set forth in &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Cases in which courts and judges may punish summarily for contempt" href="/18.2-456/">18.2-456</a> subject to the provisions of subsection A or (ii) punish a child for contempt for violation of a dispositional order in a delinquency proceeding after notice and an opportunity for a <span class="dictionary">hearing</span> regarding such contempt, including acts of disobedience of <span class="dictionary">the court</span>&#x2019;s dispositional order which are committed outside the presence of <span class="dictionary">the court</span>. <a id="paragraph-232916" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/16.1-292/#C"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="D"><p><span class="prefix-number">D.</span> In the event a <span class="dictionary">child in need of services</span> is found to have willfully and materially violated for a second or subsequent time the order of <span class="dictionary">the court</span> pursuant to &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Children in need of services" href="/16.1-278.4/">16.1-278.4</a>, the dispositional alternatives specified in subdivision A 9 of &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Delinquent juveniles" href="/16.1-278.8/">16.1-278.8</a> shall be available to <span class="dictionary">the court</span>. <a id="paragraph-232917" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/16.1-292/#D"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="E"><p><span class="prefix-number">E.</span> In the event that a child in need of supervision is found to have willfully and materially violated an order of <span class="dictionary">the court</span> pursuant to &#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Children in need of supervision" href="/16.1-278.5/">16.1-278.5</a>, <span class="dictionary">the court</span> may enter any of the following <span class="dictionary">orders</span> of <span class="dictionary">disposition</span>: <a id="paragraph-232918" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/16.1-292/#E"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="E1" class="indent-1"><p><span class="prefix-number">1.</span> Suspend the child&#x2019;s motor vehicle driver&#x2019;s license; <a id="paragraph-232919" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/16.1-292/#E1"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="E2" class="indent-1"><p><span class="prefix-number">2.</span> Order any such child 14 years of age or older to be (i) placed in a foster home, group home, or other nonsecure residential facility or, (ii) if <span class="dictionary">the court</span> finds that such placement is not likely to meet the child&#x2019;s needs, that all other treatment options in the community have been exhausted, and that secure placement is necessary in order to meet the child&#x2019;s service needs, detained in a <span class="dictionary">secure facility</span> for a period of time not to exceed seven consecutive days for violation of any order of <span class="dictionary">the court</span> arising out of the same <span class="dictionary">petition</span>. <span class="dictionary">The court</span> shall state in its order for detention the basis for all <span class="dictionary">findings</span> required by this section. In addition, any order of <span class="dictionary">disposition</span> for such violation confining the child in a <span class="dictionary">secure facility</span> for juveniles shall (a) identify the valid <span class="dictionary">court order</span> that has been violated; (b) specify the factual basis for determining that there is reasonable cause to believe that the child has violated such order; (c) state the <span class="dictionary">findings</span> of <span class="dictionary">fact</span> that support a determination that there is no appropriate less restrictive alternative available to placing the child in such a facility, with due consideration to the best interest of the child; (d) specify the length of time of such confinement, not to exceed seven days; and (e) include a plan for the child&#x2019;s release from such facility. Such order of confinement shall not be renewed or extended. When any child is detained in a <span class="dictionary">secure facility</span> pursuant to this section, <span class="dictionary">the court</span> shall direct the agency evaluating the child pursuant to &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Children in need of supervision" href="/16.1-278.5/">16.1-278.5</a> to reconvene the interdisciplinary team participating in such evaluation as promptly as possible to review its evaluation, develop further treatment plans as may be appropriate and submit its report to <span class="dictionary">the court</span> for its determination as to further treatment efforts either during or following the period the child is in secure detention. A juvenile may only be detained pursuant to this section in a <span class="dictionary">detention home</span> or other <span class="dictionary">secure facility</span> in compliance with standards established by the <span class="dictionary">State Board</span>. Any order issued pursuant to this subsection is a <span class="dictionary">final order</span> and is appealable to the <span class="dictionary">circuit</span> court as provided by <span class="dictionary">law</span>. <a id="paragraph-232920" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/16.1-292/#E2"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="F"><p><span class="prefix-number">F.</span> Nothing in this section shall be construed to reclassify a <span class="dictionary">child in need of services</span> or in need of supervision as a delinquent. <a id="paragraph-232921" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/16.1-292/#F"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section></text><history>1977, c. 559; 1983, c. 501; 1985, cc. 1, 260; 1987, c. 632; 1988, c. 771; 1989, c. 725; 1990, c. 110; 1991, c. 534; 1993, c. 632; 1994, c. 21; 2000, c. 978; 2016, c. 626; 2020, c. 593.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
