{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-json\/19.2-265.2.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-text\/19.2-265.2.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-xml\/19.2-265.2.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-html\/19.2-265.2.html"}],"law_id":351521,"edition_id":2,"section_id":351521,"structure_id":50276,"section_number":"19.2-265.2","catch_line":"Judicial notice of laws (Supreme Court Rule 2:202 derived in part from this section)","history":"1978, c. 328.","full_text":"A\n\nWhenever, in any criminal case it becomes necessary to ascertain what the law, statutory or otherwise, of this Commonwealth, of another state, of the United States, of another country, or of any political subdivision or agency of the same is, or was, at any time, the court shall take judicial notice thereof whether specially pleaded or not.\n\nB\n\nThe court, in taking such notice, shall consult any book, record, register, journal, or other official document or publication purporting to contain, state, or explain such law, and may consider any evidence or other information or argument that is offered on the subject.\n\n","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":1308710,"text":"Whenever, in any criminal case it becomes necessary to ascertain what the law, statutory or otherwise, of this Commonwealth, of another state, of the United States, of another country, or of any political subdivision or agency of the same is, or was, at any time, the court shall take judicial notice thereof whether specially pleaded or not.","type":"section","prefixes":["A"],"prefix":"A","entire_prefix":"A","prefix_anchor":"A","level":1,"next_prefix":"B"},"1":{"id":1308711,"text":"The court, in taking such notice, shall consult any book, record, register, journal, or other official document or publication purporting to contain, state, or explain such law, and may consider any evidence or other information or argument that is offered on the subject.","type":"section","prefixes":["B"],"prefix":"B","entire_prefix":"B","prefix_anchor":"B","level":1,"prior_prefix":"A"}},"ancestry":[{"id":50276,"edition_id":2,"name":"Miscellaneous Provisions","identifier":"5","label":"article","depth":3,"order_by":5,"parent_id":50266,"metadata":{"child_laws":13,"child_structures":0},"date_created":"2026-08-02 02:25:47","date_modified":"2026-08-02 12:30:44","permalink":{"id":1396159,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":50276,"identifier":"5","token":"19.2\/15\/5","url":"\/19.2\/15\/5\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":50266,"edition_id":2,"name":"Trial and Its Incidents","identifier":"15","label":"chapter","depth":2,"order_by":19,"parent_id":50226,"metadata":{"child_laws":55,"child_structures":7},"date_created":"2026-08-02 02:25:42","date_modified":"2026-08-02 12:30:43","permalink":{"id":1395977,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":50266,"identifier":"15","token":"19.2\/15","url":"\/19.2\/15\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":50226,"edition_id":2,"name":"Criminal Procedure","identifier":"19.2","label":"title","depth":1,"order_by":54,"parent_id":null,"metadata":{"child_laws":771,"child_structures":99},"date_created":"2026-08-02 02:25:04","date_modified":"2026-08-02 12:30:30","permalink":{"id":1395171,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":50226,"identifier":"19.2","token":"19.2","url":"\/19.2\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}}],"structure_contents":[{"id":351526,"structure_id":50276,"section_number":"19.2-265","catch_line":"Opening statement of counsel","url":"\/19.2-265\/","token":"19.2\/15\/5\/19.2-265","metadata":false},{"id":351519,"structure_id":50276,"section_number":"19.2-265.01","catch_line":"Victims, certain members of the family and support persons not to be excluded","url":"\/19.2-265.01\/","token":"19.2\/15\/5\/19.2-265.01","metadata":false},{"id":351520,"structure_id":50276,"section_number":"19.2-265.1","catch_line":"Exclusion of witnesses (Subsection (a) of Supreme Court Rule 2:615 derived in part from this section and subsection (c) of Supreme Court Rule 2:615 derived from this section)","url":"\/19.2-265.1\/","token":"19.2\/15\/5\/19.2-265.1","metadata":false},{"id":351521,"structure_id":50276,"section_number":"19.2-265.2","catch_line":"Judicial notice of laws (Supreme Court Rule 2:202 derived in part from this section)","url":"\/19.2-265.2\/","token":"19.2\/15\/5\/19.2-265.2","metadata":false},{"id":351522,"structure_id":50276,"section_number":"19.2-265.3","catch_line":"Nolle prosequi; discretion of court upon good cause shown","url":"\/19.2-265.3\/","token":"19.2\/15\/5\/19.2-265.3","metadata":false},{"id":351523,"structure_id":50276,"section_number":"19.2-265.4","catch_line":"Failure to provide discovery","url":"\/19.2-265.4\/","token":"19.2\/15\/5\/19.2-265.4","metadata":false},{"id":351524,"structure_id":50276,"section_number":"19.2-265.5","catch_line":"Prosecuting misdemeanor cases without attorney","url":"\/19.2-265.5\/","token":"19.2\/15\/5\/19.2-265.5","metadata":false},{"id":351525,"structure_id":50276,"section_number":"19.2-265.6","catch_line":"Dismissal of criminal charges on Commonwealth's motion; effect of dismissal of criminal charges","url":"\/19.2-265.6\/","token":"19.2\/15\/5\/19.2-265.6","metadata":false},{"id":351531,"structure_id":50276,"section_number":"19.2-266","catch_line":"Exclusion of persons from trial; photographs and broadcasting permitted under designated guidelines; exceptions","url":"\/19.2-266\/","token":"19.2\/15\/5\/19.2-266","metadata":false},{"id":351527,"structure_id":50276,"section_number":"19.2-266.1","catch_line":"Conviction of lesser offense on indictment for homicide","url":"\/19.2-266.1\/","token":"19.2\/15\/5\/19.2-266.1","metadata":false},{"id":351528,"structure_id":50276,"section_number":"19.2-266.2","catch_line":"Defense objections to be raised before trial; hearing; bill of particulars","url":"\/19.2-266.2\/","token":"19.2\/15\/5\/19.2-266.2","metadata":false},{"id":351529,"structure_id":50276,"section_number":"19.2-266.3","catch_line":"Continuances; appearances of parties","url":"\/19.2-266.3\/","token":"19.2\/15\/5\/19.2-266.3","metadata":false},{"id":351530,"structure_id":50276,"section_number":"19.2-266.4","catch_line":"Expert assistance for indigent defendants","url":"\/19.2-266.4\/","token":"19.2\/15\/5\/19.2-266.4","metadata":false}],"previous_section":{"id":351520,"structure_id":50276,"section_number":"19.2-265.1","catch_line":"Exclusion of witnesses (Subsection (a) of Supreme Court Rule 2:615 derived in part from this section and subsection (c) of Supreme Court Rule 2:615 derived from this section)","url":"\/19.2-265.1\/","token":"19.2\/15\/5\/19.2-265.1","metadata":false},"next_section":{"id":351522,"structure_id":50276,"section_number":"19.2-265.3","catch_line":"Nolle prosequi; discretion of court upon good cause shown","url":"\/19.2-265.3\/","token":"19.2\/15\/5\/19.2-265.3","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/19.2-265.2\/","history_text":"

This law was first created in 1978. The record of its establishment is cataloged in chapter 328 of that year\u2019s edition of \u201cActs of Assembly,\u201d the annual state publication listing all changes made to the Code of Virginia in that year. Unfortunately, the 1978 \u201cActs\u201d aren\u2019t available online.<\/p>","references":false,"refers_to":false,"permalink":{"id":1396173,"object_type":"law","relational_id":351521,"identifier":"19.2-265.2","token":"19.2\/15\/5\/19.2-265.2","url":"\/19.2-265.2\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/19.2-265.2\/","token":"19.2\/15\/5\/19.2-265.2","dublin_core":{"Title":"Judicial notice of laws (Supreme Court Rule 2:202 derived in part from this section)","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 19.2-265.2","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

A.<\/span> Whenever, in any criminal case it becomes necessary to ascertain what the law<\/span>, statutory or otherwise, of this Commonwealth, of another state, of the United States, of another country, or of any political subdivision or agency of the same is, or was, at any time, the court<\/span> shall take judicial notice thereof whether specially pleaded or not. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

B.<\/span> The court<\/span>, in taking such notice, shall consult any book, record, register, journal, or other official document or publication purporting to contain, state, or explain such law<\/span>, and may consider any evidence<\/span> or other information or argument that is offered on the subject. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nJUDICIAL NOTICE OF LAWS (SUPREME COURT RULE 2:202 DERIVED IN PART FROM THIS\nSECTION) (\u00a7 19.2-265.2)\n\nA. Whenever, in any criminal case it becomes necessary to ascertain what the\nlaw, statutory or otherwise, of this Commonwealth, of another state, of the\nUnited States, of another country, or of any political subdivision or agency of\nthe same is, or was, at any time, the court shall take judicial notice thereof\nwhether specially pleaded or not.\n\nB. The court, in taking such notice, shall consult any book, record, register,\njournal, or other official document or publication purporting to contain, state,\nor explain such law, and may consider any evidence or other information or\nargument that is offered on the subject.\n\nHISTORY: 1978, c. 328.","edition":{"id":2,"name":"2026","slug":"2026","date_created":"2026-07-16 18:40:23","date_modified":"2026-08-02 15:14:36","current":1,"order_by":2,"last_import":"2026-08-02 12:37:30"}}