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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>55068</law_id><section_number>19.2-182.9</section_number><catch_line>Emergency custody of conditionally released acquittee</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2025/" slug="2025" current="TRUE" last_updated="">2025</edition><referred_to_by><reference>18.2-60</reference><reference>19.2-169.1</reference><reference>19.2-169.5</reference><reference>19.2-175</reference><reference>19.2-182.3</reference><reference>19.2-389</reference><reference>37.2-803</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>When exigent circumstances do not permit compliance with <span class="dictionary">revocation</span> procedures set forth in &#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Revocation of conditional release" href="/19.2-182.8/">19.2-182.8</a>, any district <span class="dictionary">court</span> <span class="dictionary">judge</span> or a special justice, as defined in &#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Definitions" href="/37.2-100/">37.2-100</a>, or a <span class="dictionary">magistrate</span> may <span class="dictionary">issue</span> an emergency <span class="dictionary">custody</span> <span class="dictionary">order</span>, upon the sworn <span class="dictionary">petition</span> of any responsible person or upon his own <span class="dictionary">motion</span> based upon <span class="dictionary">probable cause</span> to believe that an acquittee on conditional release (i) has violated the conditions of his release or is no longer a proper subject for conditional release and (ii) requires inpatient hospitalization. The emergency <span class="dictionary">custody</span> <span class="dictionary">order</span> shall require the acquittee within his judicial district to be taken into <span class="dictionary">custody</span> and transported to a convenient location where a person designated by the <span class="dictionary">community services</span> board or behavioral health authority who is skilled in the diagnosis and treatment of mental illness shall evaluate such acquittee and assess his need for inpatient hospitalization. A <span class="dictionary">law</span>-enforcement officer who, based on his observation or the reliable reports of others, has <span class="dictionary">probable cause</span> to believe that any acquittee on conditional release has violated the conditions of his release and is no longer a proper subject for conditional release and requires emergency evaluation to assess the need for inpatient hospitalization, may take the acquittee into <span class="dictionary">custody</span> and transport him to an appropriate location to assess the need for hospitalization without prior judicial authorization. The evaluation shall be conducted immediately. The acquittee shall remain in <span class="dictionary">custody</span> until a temporary detention <span class="dictionary">order</span> is issued or until he is released, but in no event shall the period of <span class="dictionary">custody</span> exceed eight hours. If it appears from all evidence readily available (a) that the acquittee has violated the conditions of his release or is no longer a proper subject for conditional release and (b) that he requires emergency evaluation to assess the need for inpatient hospitalization, the district <span class="dictionary">court</span> <span class="dictionary">judge</span> or a special justice, as defined in &#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Definitions" href="/37.2-100/">37.2-100</a>, or <span class="dictionary">magistrate</span>, upon the advice of such person skilled in the diagnosis and treatment of mental illness, may <span class="dictionary">issue</span> a temporary detention <span class="dictionary">order</span> authorizing the executing officer to place the acquittee in an appropriate institution for a period not to exceed 72 hours prior to a <span class="dictionary">hearing</span>. If the 72-hour period terminates on a Saturday, Sunday, legal holiday, or day on which the <span class="dictionary">court</span> is lawfully closed, the acquittee may be detained until the next day which is not a Saturday, Sunday, legal holiday, or day on which the <span class="dictionary">court</span> is lawfully closed.
		The committing <span class="dictionary">court</span> or any district <span class="dictionary">court</span> <span class="dictionary">judge</span> or a special justice, as defined in &#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Definitions" href="/37.2-100/">37.2-100</a>, shall have <span class="dictionary">jurisdiction</span> to hear the matter. Prior to the <span class="dictionary">hearing</span>, the acquittee shall be examined by a psychiatrist or licensed clinical psychologist, provided the psychiatrist or clinical psychologist is skilled in the diagnosis of mental illness, who shall certify whether the person is in need of hospitalization. At the <span class="dictionary">hearing</span> 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 evidence and cross-examine witnesses at the <span class="dictionary">hearing</span>. Following the <span class="dictionary">hearing</span>, if the <span class="dictionary">court</span> determines, based on a <span class="dictionary">preponderance of the evidence</span> presented at the <span class="dictionary">hearing</span>, that the acquittee (1) has violated the conditions of his release or is no longer a proper subject for conditional release and (2) has mental illness or intellectual disability and is in need of inpatient hospitalization, the <span class="dictionary">court</span> shall revoke the acquittee&#x2019;s conditional release and place him in the <span class="dictionary">custody</span> of the Commissioner.
		When an acquittee on conditional release pursuant to this chapter is taken into emergency <span class="dictionary">custody</span>, detained, or hospitalized, such action shall be considered to have been taken pursuant to this section, notwithstanding the <span class="dictionary">fact</span> that his status as an <span class="dictionary">insanity</span> acquittee was not known at the time of <span class="dictionary">custody</span>, detention, or hospitalization. Detention or hospitalization of an acquittee pursuant to provisions of <span class="dictionary">law</span> other than those applicable to <span class="dictionary">insanity</span> acquittees pursuant to this chapter shall not render the detention or hospitalization invalid. If a person&#x2019;s status as an <span class="dictionary">insanity</span> acquittee on conditional release is not recognized at the time of emergency <span class="dictionary">custody</span> or detention, at the time his status as such is verified, the provisions applicable to such persons shall be applied and the <span class="dictionary">court</span> <span class="dictionary">hearing</span> the matter shall notify the committing <span class="dictionary">court</span> of the proceedings.</p></section></text><history>1991, c. 427; 1993, c. 295; 1996, cc. 937, 980; 2001, c. 837; 2005, c. 716; 2006, cc. 343, 370; 2008, c. 810; 2009, cc. 21, 838; 2012, cc. 476, 507; 2014, cc. 499, 538, 691, 761.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
