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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>66444</law_id><section_number>19.2-169.2</section_number><catch_line>Disposition when defendant found incompetent</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2025/" slug="2025" current="TRUE" last_updated="">2025</edition><referred_to_by><reference>18.2-308.1:3</reference><reference>19.2-169.1</reference><reference>19.2-169.3</reference><reference>19.2-169.5</reference><reference>19.2-169.7</reference><reference>19.2-169.8</reference><reference>19.2-174.1</reference><reference>19.2-389</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="11">Proceedings on Question of Insanity</unit></structure><text>
						<section id="A"><p><span class="prefix-number">A.</span> Upon <span class="dictionary">finding</span> pursuant to subsection E or F of &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Raising question of competency to stand trial or plead; evaluation and determination of competency" href="/19.2-169.1/">19.2-169.1</a> that the <span class="dictionary">defendant</span>, including a juvenile transferred pursuant to &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Trial in circuit court; preliminary hearing; direct indictment; remand" href="/16.1-269.1/">16.1-269.1</a>, is incompetent, the court shall order that the <span class="dictionary">defendant</span> receive treatment to restore his competency on an outpatient basis or, if the court specifically finds that the <span class="dictionary">defendant</span> requires inpatient hospital treatment, at a hospital designated by the Commissioner of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services as appropriate for treatment of persons under criminal charge. Outpatient treatment may occur in a local correctional facility or at a location determined by the appropriate <span class="dictionary">community services</span> board or behavioral health authority. Notwithstanding the provisions of &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Where prisoner kept when no vacancy in facility or hospital" href="/19.2-178/">19.2-178</a>, if the <span class="dictionary">court orders</span> inpatient hospital treatment, the <span class="dictionary">defendant</span> shall be transferred to and accepted by the hospital designated by the Commissioner as soon as practicable, but no later than 10 days, from the receipt of the <span class="dictionary">court order</span> requiring treatment to restore the <span class="dictionary">defendant</span>&#x2019;s competency. If the 10-day period expires on a Saturday, Sunday, or other legal holiday, the 10 days shall be extended to the next day that is not a Saturday, Sunday, or legal holiday. Any psychiatric records and other information that have been deemed relevant and submitted by the attorney for the <span class="dictionary">defendant</span> pursuant to subsection C of &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Raising question of competency to stand trial or plead; evaluation and determination of competency" href="/19.2-169.1/">19.2-169.1</a> and any reports submitted pursuant to subsection D of &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Raising question of competency to stand trial or plead; evaluation and determination of competency" href="/19.2-169.1/">19.2-169.1</a> shall be made available to the director of the <span class="dictionary">community services</span> board or behavioral health authority or his designee or to the director of the treating inpatient facility or his designee within 96 hours of the issuance of the <span class="dictionary">court order</span> requiring treatment to restore the <span class="dictionary">defendant</span>&#x2019;s competency. If the 96-hour period expires on a Saturday, Sunday, or other legal holiday, the 96 hours shall be extended to the next day that is not a Saturday, Sunday, or legal holiday. <a id="paragraph-241161" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/19.2-169.2/#A"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="B"><p><span class="prefix-number">B.</span> If, at any time after the <span class="dictionary">defendant</span> is ordered to undergo treatment under subsection A, the director of the <span class="dictionary">community services</span> board or behavioral health authority or his designee or the director of the treating inpatient facility or his designee believes the <span class="dictionary">defendant</span>&#x2019;s competency is restored, the director or his designee shall immediately send a report to the court as prescribed in subsection D of &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Raising question of competency to stand trial or plead; evaluation and determination of competency" href="/19.2-169.1/">19.2-169.1</a>. The court shall make a ruling on the <span class="dictionary">defendant</span>&#x2019;s competency according to the procedures specified in subsection E of &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Raising question of competency to stand trial or plead; evaluation and determination of competency" href="/19.2-169.1/">19.2-169.1</a>. <a id="paragraph-241162" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/19.2-169.2/#B"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="C"><p><span class="prefix-number">C.</span> Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection A, in cases in which (i) the <span class="dictionary">defendant</span> has been charged with a <span class="dictionary">misdemeanor</span> violation of Article 3 (&#xA7; <a class="law" title="Grand larceny defined; how punished" href="/18.2-95/">18.2-95</a> et seq.) of Chapter 5 of Title 18.2 or a <span class="dictionary">misdemeanor</span> violation of &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Trespass after having been forbidden to do so; penalties" href="/18.2-119/">18.2-119</a>, <a class="law" title="Injuring, etc., any property, monument, etc" href="/18.2-137/">18.2-137</a>, <a class="law" title="Intoxication in public; penalty; transportation of public inebriates to detoxification center" href="/18.2-388/">18.2-388</a>, <a class="law" title="Disorderly conduct in public places" href="/18.2-415/">18.2-415</a>, or <a class="law" title="Penalties for failure to appear" href="/19.2-128/">19.2-128</a>; (ii) the <span class="dictionary">defendant</span> has been found to be incompetent pursuant to subsection E or F of &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Raising question of competency to stand trial or plead; evaluation and determination of competency" href="/19.2-169.1/">19.2-169.1</a>; and (iii) the competency report described in subsection D of &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Raising question of competency to stand trial or plead; evaluation and determination of competency" href="/19.2-169.1/">19.2-169.1</a> recommends that the <span class="dictionary">defendant</span> be evaluated to determine whether he meets the criteria for temporary detention pursuant to &#xA7; <a class="law" title="(Effective July 1, 2026) Involuntary temporary detention; issuance and execution of order" href="/37.2-809/">37.2-809</a>, the court may order the <span class="dictionary">community services</span> board or behavioral health authority serving the <span class="dictionary">jurisdiction</span> in which the <span class="dictionary">defendant</span> is located to (a) conduct an evaluation of the <span class="dictionary">defendant</span> and (b) if the <span class="dictionary">community services</span> board or behavioral health authority determines that the <span class="dictionary">defendant</span> meets the criteria for temporary detention, file a <span class="dictionary">petition</span> for issuance of an order for temporary detention pursuant to &#xA7; <a class="law" title="(Effective July 1, 2026) Involuntary temporary detention; issuance and execution of order" href="/37.2-809/">37.2-809</a>. The <span class="dictionary">community services</span> board or behavioral health authority shall notify the court, in writing, within 72 hours of the completion of the evaluation and, if appropriate, file a <span class="dictionary">petition</span> for issuance of an order for temporary detention. Upon receipt of such notice, the court may dismiss the charges without prejudice against the <span class="dictionary">defendant</span>. However, the court shall not enter an order or dismiss charges against a <span class="dictionary">defendant</span> pursuant to this subsection if the attorney for the Commonwealth is involved in the <span class="dictionary">prosecution</span> of the case and the attorney for the Commonwealth does not concur in the <span class="dictionary">motion</span>. <a id="paragraph-241163" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/19.2-169.2/#C"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="D"><p><span class="prefix-number">D.</span> If a <span class="dictionary">defendant</span> for whom an evaluation has been ordered pursuant to subsection C fails or refuses to appear for the evaluation, the <span class="dictionary">community services</span> board or behavioral health authority shall notify the court and the court shall <span class="dictionary">issue</span> a mandatory examination order and <span class="dictionary">capias</span> directing the primary <span class="dictionary">law</span>-enforcement agency for the <span class="dictionary">jurisdiction</span> in which the <span class="dictionary">defendant</span> resides to transport the <span class="dictionary">defendant</span> to the location designated by the <span class="dictionary">community services</span> board or behavioral health authority for examination. <a id="paragraph-241164" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/19.2-169.2/#D"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="E"><p><span class="prefix-number">E.</span> The clerk of the court shall certify and forward forthwith to the Central Criminal Records Exchange, on a form provided by the Exchange, a copy of an order for treatment issued pursuant to subsection A. <a id="paragraph-241165" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/19.2-169.2/#E"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section></text><history>1982, c. 653; 2003, c. 735; 2007, c. 781; 2008, cc. 751, 788; 2009, cc. 813, 840; 2014, cc. 373, 408; 2017, c. 461; 2020, c. 937; 2022, c. 508; 2023, cc. 229, 230.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
