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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>65958</law_id><section_number>19.2-124</section_number><catch_line>Appeal from bail, bond, or recognizance order</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="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 id="A"><p><span class="prefix-number">A.</span> If a judicial officer denies <span class="dictionary">bail</span> to a <span class="dictionary">person</span>, requires excessive <span class="dictionary">bond</span>, or fixes unreasonable terms of a <span class="dictionary">recognizance</span> under this article, the <span class="dictionary">person</span> may <span class="dictionary">appeal</span> the decision of the judicial officer.
			If the initial <span class="dictionary">bail</span> decision on a charge brought by a warrant or district court <span class="dictionary">capias</span> is made by a <span class="dictionary">magistrate</span>, clerk, or deputy clerk, the <span class="dictionary">person</span> shall first <span class="dictionary">appeal</span> to the district court in which the case is pending.
			If the initial <span class="dictionary">bail</span> decision on a charge brought by direct <span class="dictionary">indictment</span> or <span class="dictionary">presentment</span> or <span class="dictionary">circuit</span> court <span class="dictionary">capias</span> is made by a <span class="dictionary">magistrate</span>, clerk, or deputy clerk, the <span class="dictionary">person</span> shall first <span class="dictionary">appeal</span> to the <span class="dictionary">circuit</span> court in which the case is pending.
			If the <span class="dictionary">appeal</span> of an initial <span class="dictionary">bail</span> decision is taken on any charge originally pending in a district court after that charge has been appealed, certified, or transferred to a <span class="dictionary">circuit</span> court, the <span class="dictionary">person</span> shall first <span class="dictionary">appeal</span> to the <span class="dictionary">circuit</span> court in which the case is pending.
			Any <span class="dictionary">bail</span> decision made by a <span class="dictionary">judge</span> of a court may be appealed successively by the <span class="dictionary">person</span> to the next higher court, up to and including the Supreme Court of Virginia, where permitted by <span class="dictionary">law</span>.
			The <span class="dictionary">bail</span> decision of the higher court on such <span class="dictionary">appeal</span>, unless the higher <span class="dictionary">court orders</span> otherwise, shall be remanded to the court in which the case is pending for enforcement and modification. The court in which the case is pending shall not modify the <span class="dictionary">bail</span> decision of the higher court, except upon a change in the circumstances subsequent to the decision of the higher court. <a id="paragraph-239665" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/19.2-124/#A"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="B"><p><span class="prefix-number">B.</span> The attorney for the Commonwealth may <span class="dictionary">appeal</span> a <span class="dictionary">bail</span>, <span class="dictionary">bond</span>, or <span class="dictionary">recognizance</span> decision to the same court to which the <span class="dictionary">accused</span> <span class="dictionary">person</span> is required to <span class="dictionary">appeal</span> under subsection A. <a id="paragraph-239666" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/19.2-124/#B"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="C"><p><span class="prefix-number">C.</span> The court granting or denying such <span class="dictionary">bail</span> may, upon <span class="dictionary">appeal</span> thereof, and for good cause shown, <span class="dictionary">stay</span> execution of such <span class="dictionary">order</span> for so long as reasonably practicable for the <span class="dictionary">party</span> to obtain an expedited <span class="dictionary">hearing</span> before the next higher court.
			No such <span class="dictionary">stay</span> under this subsection may be granted after any <span class="dictionary">person</span> who has been granted <span class="dictionary">bail</span> has been released from <span class="dictionary">custody</span> on such <span class="dictionary">bail</span>. <a id="paragraph-239667" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/19.2-124/#C"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="D"><p><span class="prefix-number">D.</span> No filing or service fees shall be assessed or collected for any <span class="dictionary">appeal</span> taken pursuant to this section. <a id="paragraph-239668" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/19.2-124/#D"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section></text><history>Code 1950, &#xA7;&#xA7; 19.1-109.3, 19.1-112; 1960, c. 366; 1973, cc. 130, 485; 1975, c. 495; 1978, c. 755; 1984, c. 703; 1991, c. 581; 1999, cc. 829, 846; 2007, cc. 462, 549; 2010, cc. 404, 592; 2013, cc. 408, 474; 2016, c. 621; 2019, c. 616; 2021, Sp. Sess. I, c. 337.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
