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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>85415</law_id><section_number>19.2-244</section_number><catch_line>Venue in general</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2025/" slug="2025" current="TRUE" last_updated="">2025</edition><referred_to_by><reference>16.1-123.1</reference><reference>18.2-111</reference><reference>18.2-198.1</reference><reference>18.2-517</reference><reference>18.2-95</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="15">Trial and Its Incidents</unit><unit label="article" level="3" order_by="1" identifier="2">Venue</unit></structure><text>
						<section id="A"><p><span class="prefix-number">A.</span> Except as otherwise provided by <span class="dictionary">law</span>, the <span class="dictionary">prosecution</span> of a criminal case shall be had in the county or city in which the <span class="dictionary">offense</span> was committed. Except as to <span class="dictionary">motions</span> for a change of <span class="dictionary">venue</span>, all other questions of <span class="dictionary">venue</span> must be raised before <span class="dictionary">verdict</span> in cases tried by a <span class="dictionary">jury</span> and before the <span class="dictionary">finding</span> of guilty in cases tried by the <span class="dictionary">court</span> without a <span class="dictionary">jury</span>. <a id="paragraph-305994" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/19.2-244/#A"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="B"><p><span class="prefix-number">B.</span> If an <span class="dictionary">offense</span> has been committed within the Commonwealth and it cannot readily be determined within which county or city the <span class="dictionary">offense</span> was committed, <span class="dictionary">venue</span> for the <span class="dictionary">prosecution</span> of the <span class="dictionary">offense</span> may be had in the county or city (i) in which the <span class="dictionary">defendant</span> resides; (ii) if the <span class="dictionary">defendant</span> is not a resident of the Commonwealth, in which the <span class="dictionary">defendant</span> is apprehended; or (iii) if the <span class="dictionary">defendant</span> is not a resident of the Commonwealth and is not apprehended in the Commonwealth, in which any related <span class="dictionary">offense</span> was committed. <a id="paragraph-305995" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/19.2-244/#B"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="C"><p><span class="prefix-number">C.</span> The <span class="dictionary">courts</span> of a locality shall have concurrent <span class="dictionary">jurisdiction</span> with the <span class="dictionary">courts</span> of any other locality adjoining such locality over criminal <span class="dictionary">offenses</span> committed in or upon the premises, buildings, rooms, or offices owned or occupied by such locality or any officer, agency, or department thereof that are located in the adjoining locality. <a id="paragraph-305996" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/19.2-244/#C"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section></text><history>1975, c. 495; 2015, cc. 632, 637; 2018, c. 164.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
