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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>57647</law_id><section_number>19.2-182.3</section_number><catch_line>Commitment; civil proceedings</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2025/" slug="2025" current="TRUE" last_updated="">2025</edition><referred_to_by><reference>19.2-169.1</reference><reference>19.2-169.5</reference><reference>19.2-174.1</reference><reference>19.2-182.14</reference><reference>19.2-182.2</reference><reference>19.2-182.6</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="11.1">Disposition of Persons Acquitted by Reason of Insanity</unit></structure><text>
						<section><p>Upon receipt of the evaluation report and, if applicable, a conditional release or discharge plan, the <span class="dictionary">court</span> shall schedule the matter for <span class="dictionary">hearing</span> on an expedited basis, giving the matter priority over other civil matters before the <span class="dictionary">court</span>, to determine the appropriate <span class="dictionary">disposition</span> of the acquittee. Except as otherwise ordered by the <span class="dictionary">court</span>, the attorney who represented the <span class="dictionary">defendant</span> at the criminal proceedings shall represent the acquittee through the proceedings pursuant to this section. The matter may be continued on <span class="dictionary">motion</span> of either <span class="dictionary">party</span> for good cause shown. The acquittee shall be provided with adequate notice of the <span class="dictionary">hearing</span>, of the right to be present at the <span class="dictionary">hearing</span>, the right to the assistance of <span class="dictionary">counsel</span> in preparation for and during the <span class="dictionary">hearing</span>, and the right to introduce <span class="dictionary">evidence</span> and cross-examine witnesses at the <span class="dictionary">hearing</span>. The <span class="dictionary">hearing</span> is a civil proceeding.
		At the conclusion of the <span class="dictionary">hearing</span>, the <span class="dictionary">court</span> shall commit the acquittee if it finds that he has mental illness or intellectual disability and is in need of inpatient hospitalization. For the purposes of this chapter, mental illness includes any mental illness, as defined in &#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Definitions" href="/37.2-100/">37.2-100</a>, in a state of remission when the illness may, with reasonable probability, become active. The decision of the <span class="dictionary">court</span> shall be based upon consideration of the following factors:</p></section>
						<section id="1"><p><span class="prefix-number">1.</span> To what extent the acquittee has mental illness or intellectual disability, as those terms are defined in &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Definitions" href="/37.2-100/">37.2-100</a>; <a id="paragraph-211207" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/19.2-182.3/#1"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="2"><p><span class="prefix-number">2.</span> The likelihood that the acquittee will engage in conduct presenting a substantial risk of bodily harm to other persons or to himself in the foreseeable future; <a id="paragraph-211208" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/19.2-182.3/#2"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="3"><p><span class="prefix-number">3.</span> The likelihood that the acquittee can be adequately controlled with supervision and treatment on an outpatient basis; and <a id="paragraph-211209" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/19.2-182.3/#3"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="4"><p><span class="prefix-number">4.</span> Such other factors as the <span class="dictionary">court</span> deems relevant.
			If the <span class="dictionary">court</span> determines that an acquittee does not need inpatient hospitalization solely because of treatment or habilitation he is currently receiving, but the <span class="dictionary">court</span> is not persuaded that the acquittee will continue to receive such treatment or habilitation, it may commit him for inpatient hospitalization. The <span class="dictionary">court</span> shall <span class="dictionary">order</span> the acquittee released with conditions pursuant to &#xA7;&#xA7; <a class="law" title="Conditional release; criteria; conditions; reports" href="/19.2-182.7/">19.2-182.7</a>, <a class="law" title="Revocation of conditional release" href="/19.2-182.8/">19.2-182.8</a>, and <a class="law" title="Emergency custody of conditionally released acquittee" href="/19.2-182.9/">19.2-182.9</a> if it finds that he is not in need of inpatient hospitalization but that he meets the criteria for conditional release set forth in &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Conditional release; criteria; conditions; reports" href="/19.2-182.7/">19.2-182.7</a>. If the <span class="dictionary">court</span> finds that the acquittee does not need inpatient hospitalization nor does he meet the criteria for conditional release, it shall release him without conditions, provided the <span class="dictionary">court</span> has approved a discharge plan prepared by the appropriate <span class="dictionary">community services</span> board or behavioral health authority in consultation with the appropriate hospital staff.
			The <span class="dictionary">court</span> shall <span class="dictionary">order</span> that any person acquitted by reason of <span class="dictionary">insanity</span> and committed pursuant to this section who is sentenced to a term of incarceration for any other <span class="dictionary">offense</span> in the same proceeding or in any proceeding conducted prior to the proceeding in which the person is acquitted by reason of <span class="dictionary">insanity</span> complete any sentence imposed for such other <span class="dictionary">offense</span> prior to being placed in the <span class="dictionary">custody</span> of the Commissioner of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services until released from commitment pursuant to this chapter. The <span class="dictionary">court</span> shall <span class="dictionary">order</span> that any person acquitted by reason of <span class="dictionary">insanity</span> and committed pursuant to this section who is sentenced to a term of incarceration in any proceeding conducted during the period of commitment be transferred to the <span class="dictionary">custody</span> of the correctional facility where he is to serve his sentence, and, upon completion of his sentence, such person shall be placed in the <span class="dictionary">custody</span> of the Commissioner of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services until released from commitment pursuant to this chapter. <a id="paragraph-211210" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/19.2-182.3/#4"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section></text><history>1991, c. 427; 1993, c. 295; 2005, c. 716; 2012, cc. 476, 507; 2018, c. 768.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
