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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>70200</law_id><section_number>16.1-302.1</section_number><catch_line>Right of victim or representative to attend certain proceedings; notice of hearings</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2025/" slug="2025" current="TRUE" last_updated="">2025</edition><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="12">Confidentiality and Expungement</unit></structure><text>
						<section><p>During proceedings involving <span class="dictionary">petitions</span> or warrants alleging that a juvenile is delinquent, including proceedings on <span class="dictionary">appeal</span>, a victim may remain in the courtroom and shall not be excluded unless <span class="dictionary">the court</span> determines in its discretion, that the presence of the victim would impair the conduct of a fair <span class="dictionary">trial</span>. In any such case involving a <span class="dictionary">minor</span> victim, <span class="dictionary">the court</span> may permit an <span class="dictionary">adult</span> chosen by the <span class="dictionary">minor</span> victim to be present in the courtroom during the proceedings in addition to or in lieu of the <span class="dictionary">minor</span>&#x2019;s parent or guardian.
		The attorney for the Commonwealth shall give prior notice of any such proceedings and changes in the scheduling thereof to any known victim and to any known <span class="dictionary">adult</span> chosen in accordance with this section by a <span class="dictionary">minor</span> victim at the address or telephone number, or both, provided in writing by such persons.</p></section></text><history>1996, cc. 755, 914; 2000, c. 339.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
