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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>61367</law_id><section_number>19.2-119</section_number><catch_line>Definitions</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2025/" slug="2025" current="TRUE" last_updated="">2025</edition><referred_to_by><reference>15.2-1627</reference><reference>16.1-135</reference><reference>16.1-247</reference><reference>16.1-248.1</reference><reference>16.1-250</reference><reference>16.1-258</reference><reference>16.1-269.2</reference><reference>19.2-150</reference><reference>19.2-152.2</reference><reference>19.2-152.3</reference><reference>19.2-152.4</reference><reference>19.2-158</reference><reference>19.2-186</reference><reference>19.2-234</reference><reference>19.2-327.10:1</reference><reference>19.2-327.2:1</reference><reference>19.2-398</reference><reference>19.2-406</reference><reference>19.2-80.2</reference><reference>19.2-82</reference><reference>2.2-511</reference><reference>28.2-802</reference><reference>38.2-2416</reference><reference>46.2-936</reference><reference>54.1-924</reference><reference>8.01-508</reference><reference>9.1-185</reference><reference>9.1-185.6</reference><reference>9.1-186</reference></referred_to_by><structure><unit label="title" level="1" order_by="1" identifier="19.2">Criminal Procedure</unit><unit label="chapter" level="2" order_by="1" identifier="9">Bail and Recognizances</unit><unit label="article" level="3" order_by="1" identifier="1">Bail</unit></structure><text>
						<section><p>As used in this chapter:
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Bail</span>&#x201D; means the pretrial release of a <span class="dictionary">person</span> from <span class="dictionary">custody</span> upon those terms and conditions specified by <span class="dictionary">order</span> of an appropriate judicial officer.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Bond</span>&#x201D; means the posting by a <span class="dictionary">person</span> or his <span class="dictionary">surety</span> of a written promise to pay a specific sum, secured or unsecured, ordered by an appropriate judicial officer as a condition of <span class="dictionary">bail</span> to assure performance of the terms and conditions contained in the <span class="dictionary">recognizance</span>.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Criminal history</span>&#x201D; means records and data collected by criminal justice agencies or <span class="dictionary">persons</span> consisting of identifiable descriptions and notations of <span class="dictionary">arrests</span>, detentions, <span class="dictionary">indictments</span>, informations or other formal charges, and any <span class="dictionary">deposition</span> arising therefrom.
		&#x201C;Judicial officer&#x201D; means, unless otherwise indicated, any <span class="dictionary">magistrate</span> serving the <span class="dictionary">jurisdiction</span>, any <span class="dictionary">judge</span> of a district <span class="dictionary">court</span> and the clerk or deputy clerk of any district <span class="dictionary">court</span> or <span class="dictionary">circuit</span> <span class="dictionary">court</span> within their respective cities and counties, any <span class="dictionary">judge</span> of a <span class="dictionary">circuit</span> <span class="dictionary">court</span>, any <span class="dictionary">judge</span> of the <span class="dictionary">Court</span> of <span class="dictionary">Appeals</span> and any justice of the Supreme <span class="dictionary">Court</span> of Virginia.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Person</span>&#x201D; means any <span class="dictionary">accused</span>, or any juvenile taken into <span class="dictionary">custody</span> pursuant to &#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="When and how child may be taken into immediate custody" href="/16.1-246/">16.1-246</a>.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Recognizance</span>&#x201D; means a signed commitment by a <span class="dictionary">person</span> to appear in <span class="dictionary">court</span> as directed and to adhere to any other terms ordered by an appropriate judicial officer as a condition of <span class="dictionary">bail</span>.</p></section></text><history>Code 1950, &#xA7; 19.1-109.1; 1973, c. 485; 1974, c. 114; 1975, c. 495; 1984, c. 703; 1991, c. 581; 1993, c. 636; 1999, cc. 829, 846; 2008, cc. 551, 691.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
