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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>75982</law_id><section_number>19.2-188.4</section_number><catch_line>Two-way video testimony related to certain forensic medical examinations</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="12">Preliminary Hearing</unit></structure><text>
						<section id="A"><p><span class="prefix-number">A.</span> Any <span class="dictionary">testimony</span> offered by either <span class="dictionary">party</span> in a <span class="dictionary">preliminary hearing</span> or sentencing hearing, or offered by the <span class="dictionary">accused</span> in any hearing other than a <span class="dictionary">trial</span>, by a sexual <span class="dictionary">assault</span> nurse examiner or sexual <span class="dictionary">assault</span> forensic examiner who performed a forensic medical examination may be presented using two-way video conferencing. <a id="paragraph-272777" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/19.2-188.4/#A"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="B"><p><span class="prefix-number">B.</span> Any <span class="dictionary">testimony</span> offered by either <span class="dictionary">party</span> in a <span class="dictionary">trial</span>, or offered by the attorney for the Commonwealth in any hearing other than a <span class="dictionary">preliminary hearing</span> or sentencing hearing, by a sexual <span class="dictionary">assault</span> nurse examiner or sexual <span class="dictionary">assault</span> forensic examiner who performed a forensic medical examination may be presented by two-way video conferencing with the consent of the <span class="dictionary">court</span> and all parties. <a id="paragraph-272778" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/19.2-188.4/#B"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="C"><p><span class="prefix-number">C.</span> The two-way video <span class="dictionary">testimony</span> permitted by this section shall comply with the provisions of subsection B of &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Personal appearance by two-way electronic video and audio communication; standards" href="/19.2-3.1/">19.2-3.1</a>. In addition, unless otherwise agreed to by the parties and the <span class="dictionary">court</span>, (i) all <span class="dictionary">orders</span> pertaining to witnesses apply to witnesses testifying by two-way video conferencing; (ii) upon request, all <span class="dictionary">materials</span> read or used by the <span class="dictionary">witness</span> during his <span class="dictionary">testimony</span> shall be identified on the video; and (iii) any <span class="dictionary">witness</span> testifying by two-way video conferencing shall certify at the conclusion of his <span class="dictionary">testimony</span>, under <span class="dictionary">penalty</span> of <span class="dictionary">perjury</span>, that he did not engage in any off-camera communications with any person during his <span class="dictionary">testimony</span>. <a id="paragraph-272779" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/19.2-188.4/#C"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="D"><p><span class="prefix-number">D.</span> Nothing in this section shall be construed as requiring a locality to purchase a two-way electronic video and audio communication system. Any decision to purchase such a system is at the discretion of the locality. <a id="paragraph-272780" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/19.2-188.4/#D"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section></text><history>2022, c. 253.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
