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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>84831</law_id><section_number>19.2-188</section_number><catch_line>Reports by Chief Medical Examiner received as evidence</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2025/" slug="2025" current="TRUE" last_updated="">2025</edition><referred_to_by><reference>19.2-183</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="12">Preliminary Hearing</unit></structure><text>
						<section id="A"><p><span class="prefix-number">A.</span> Reports of investigations made by the Chief Medical Examiner, his assistants or medical examiners, and the records and certified reports of autopsies made under the authority of Title 32.1, shall be received as <span class="dictionary">evidence</span> in any <span class="dictionary">court</span> or other proceeding, and copies of photographs, laboratory <span class="dictionary">findings</span> and reports in the office of the Chief Medical Examiner or any medical examiner, when duly attested by the Chief Medical Examiner or one of his Assistant Chief Medical Examiners, shall be received as <span class="dictionary">evidence</span> in any <span class="dictionary">court</span> or other proceeding for any purpose for which the original could be received without proof of the official character or the person whose name is signed thereto. <a id="paragraph-303946" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/19.2-188/#A"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="B"><p><span class="prefix-number">B.</span> Any statement of <span class="dictionary">fact</span> or of <span class="dictionary">opinion</span> in such reports and records concerning the physical or medical cause of death and not alleging any conduct by the <span class="dictionary">accused</span> shall be <span class="dictionary">admissible</span> as competent <span class="dictionary">evidence</span> of the cause of death in any <span class="dictionary">preliminary hearing</span>. <a id="paragraph-303947" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/19.2-188/#B"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section></text><history>Code 1950, &#xA7; 19.1-45; 1960, c. 366; 1975, c. 495; 2003, c. 459; 2009, c. 640.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
