                                 CODE OF VIRGINIA

HABEAS CORPUS AS MEANS (§ 37.2-844)

A. Any person held in custody because of his mental illness may by petition for
a writ of habeas corpus have the question of the legality of his detention
determined by a court of competent jurisdiction. Upon the petition, after notice
to the authorities of the facility or other institution in which the person is
confined, the court shall determine in a courtroom of the county or city or in
some other convenient public place in that county or city, whether the person
has a mental illness and whether he should be detained.

B. Any proceeding to challenge the continued secure inpatient treatment of a
person held in custody as a sexually violent predator under Chapter 9 (&#xA7;
37.2-900 et seq.) of this title shall be conducted in accordance with &#xA7;
37.2-910.

HISTORY: Code 1950, §§ 37-122, 37-123; 1950, p. 916; 1968, c. 477, §
37.1-103; 1976, c. 671; 2003, cc. 989, 1018; 2005, c. 716.