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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>65204</law_id><section_number>19.2-295.3</section_number><catch_line>Admission of victim impact testimony</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2025/" slug="2025" current="TRUE" last_updated="">2025</edition><referred_to_by><reference>19.2-11.01</reference><reference>19.2-295.1</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="18">Sentence; Judgment; Execution of Sentence</unit><unit label="article" level="3" order_by="1" identifier="1">General Provisions</unit></structure><text>
						<section><p>Whether by <span class="dictionary">trial</span> or upon a <span class="dictionary">plea</span> of guilty, upon a <span class="dictionary">finding</span> that the <span class="dictionary">defendant</span> is guilty of a <span class="dictionary">felony</span>, the <span class="dictionary">court</span> shall permit the victim, as defined in &#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Crime victim and witness rights" href="/19.2-11.01/">19.2-11.01</a>, upon <span class="dictionary">motion</span> of the attorney for the Commonwealth, to testify in the presence of the <span class="dictionary">accused</span> regarding the impact of the <span class="dictionary">offense</span> upon the victim. The <span class="dictionary">court</span> shall limit the victim&#x2019;s <span class="dictionary">testimony</span> to the factors set forth in clauses (i) through (vi) of subsection A of &#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="When Victim Impact Statement required; contents; uses" href="/19.2-299.1/">19.2-299.1</a>. In the case of <span class="dictionary">trial</span> by <span class="dictionary">jury</span> and when the <span class="dictionary">accused</span> has requested the <span class="dictionary">jury</span> to ascertain punishment as provided in subsection A of &#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Ascertainment of punishment" href="/19.2-295/">19.2-295</a>, the <span class="dictionary">court</span> shall permit the victim to testify at the sentencing <span class="dictionary">hearing</span> conducted pursuant to &#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Sentencing proceeding by the jury after conviction" href="/19.2-295.1/">19.2-295.1</a>. In all other cases of <span class="dictionary">trial</span> by <span class="dictionary">jury</span>, the case of <span class="dictionary">trial</span> by the <span class="dictionary">court</span>, or the case of a guilty <span class="dictionary">plea</span>, the <span class="dictionary">court</span> shall permit the victim to testify before the <span class="dictionary">court</span> prior to the imposition of the sentence by the presiding <span class="dictionary">judge</span>.</p></section></text><history>1998, c. 485; 2004, c. 310; 2020, Sp. Sess. I, c. 43; 2021, Sp. Sess. I, cc. 344, 345.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
