{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-json\/18.2-445.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-text\/18.2-445.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-xml\/18.2-445.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-html\/18.2-445.html"}],"law_id":350972,"edition_id":2,"section_id":350972,"structure_id":50199,"section_number":"18.2-445","catch_line":"Immunity of witnesses","history":"Code 1950, \u00a7\u00a7 18.1-280, 18.1-405; 1960, c. 358; 1975, cc. 14, 15.","full_text":"No witness called by the court or attorney for the Commonwealth and giving evidence for the prosecution, either before the grand jury or the court in any prosecution, under this article shall ever be proceeded against for any offense of giving, or offering to give, or accepting a bribe committed by him at the time and place indicated in such prosecution; but such witness shall be compelled to testify, and for refusing to answer questions may, by the court, be punished for contempt.\n\n","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":1307327,"text":"No witness called by the court or attorney for the Commonwealth and giving evidence for the prosecution, either before the grand jury or the court in any prosecution, under this article shall ever be proceeded against for any offense of giving, or offering to give, or accepting a bribe committed by him at the time and place indicated in such prosecution; but such witness shall be compelled to testify, and for refusing to answer questions may, by the court, be punished for contempt.","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1}},"ancestry":[{"id":50199,"edition_id":2,"name":"Bribery and Related Offenses","identifier":"2","label":"article","depth":3,"order_by":2,"parent_id":50197,"metadata":{"child_laws":11,"child_structures":0},"date_created":"2026-08-02 02:24:29","date_modified":"2026-08-02 12:30:27","permalink":{"id":1391243,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":50199,"identifier":"2","token":"18.2\/10\/2","url":"\/18.2\/10\/2\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":50197,"edition_id":2,"name":"Crimes Against the Administration of Justice","identifier":"10","label":"chapter","depth":2,"order_by":10,"parent_id":50131,"metadata":{"child_laws":65,"child_structures":7},"date_created":"2026-08-02 02:24:29","date_modified":"2026-08-02 12:30:26","permalink":{"id":1391223,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":50197,"identifier":"10","token":"18.2\/10","url":"\/18.2\/10\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":50131,"edition_id":2,"name":"Crimes and Offenses Generally","identifier":"18.2","label":"title","depth":1,"order_by":52,"parent_id":null,"metadata":{"child_laws":960,"child_structures":94},"date_created":"2026-08-02 02:22:59","date_modified":"2026-08-02 12:30:15","permalink":{"id":1391141,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":50131,"identifier":"18.2","token":"18.2","url":"\/18.2\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}}],"structure_contents":[{"id":350961,"structure_id":50199,"section_number":"18.2-438","catch_line":"Bribes to officers or candidates for office","url":"\/18.2-438\/","token":"18.2\/10\/2\/18.2-438","metadata":false},{"id":350962,"structure_id":50199,"section_number":"18.2-439","catch_line":"Acceptance of bribe by officer or candidate","url":"\/18.2-439\/","token":"18.2\/10\/2\/18.2-439","metadata":false},{"id":350964,"structure_id":50199,"section_number":"18.2-440","catch_line":"Bribes to officers to prevent service of process","url":"\/18.2-440\/","token":"18.2\/10\/2\/18.2-440","metadata":false},{"id":350966,"structure_id":50199,"section_number":"18.2-441","catch_line":"Giving bribes to, or receiving bribes by, commissioners, jurors, etc","url":"\/18.2-441\/","token":"18.2\/10\/2\/18.2-441","metadata":false},{"id":350965,"structure_id":50199,"section_number":"18.2-441.1","catch_line":"Bribery of witnesses","url":"\/18.2-441.1\/","token":"18.2\/10\/2\/18.2-441.1","metadata":false},{"id":350967,"structure_id":50199,"section_number":"18.2-442","catch_line":"Bribery of participants in games, contests or sports","url":"\/18.2-442\/","token":"18.2\/10\/2\/18.2-442","metadata":false},{"id":350968,"structure_id":50199,"section_number":"18.2-443","catch_line":"Solicitation or acceptance of bribes by participants or by managers, coaches or trainers","url":"\/18.2-443\/","token":"18.2\/10\/2\/18.2-443","metadata":false},{"id":350971,"structure_id":50199,"section_number":"18.2-444","catch_line":"Corruptly influencing, or being influenced as, agents, etc","url":"\/18.2-444\/","token":"18.2\/10\/2\/18.2-444","metadata":false},{"id":350969,"structure_id":50199,"section_number":"18.2-444.1","catch_line":"Reserved","url":"\/18.2-444.1\/","token":"18.2\/10\/2\/18.2-444.1","metadata":false},{"id":350970,"structure_id":50199,"section_number":"18.2-444.2","catch_line":"Giving or accepting a fee or gift for purposes of influencing decisions of financial institution","url":"\/18.2-444.2\/","token":"18.2\/10\/2\/18.2-444.2","metadata":false},{"id":350972,"structure_id":50199,"section_number":"18.2-445","catch_line":"Immunity of witnesses","url":"\/18.2-445\/","token":"18.2\/10\/2\/18.2-445","metadata":false}],"previous_section":{"id":350970,"structure_id":50199,"section_number":"18.2-444.2","catch_line":"Giving or accepting a fee or gift for purposes of influencing decisions of financial institution","url":"\/18.2-444.2\/","token":"18.2\/10\/2\/18.2-444.2","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/18.2-445\/","history_text":"

The record of this law\u2019s original creation isn\u2019t available online. It has been modified 2 times. Those modifications are cataloged by \u201cThe Acts of Assembly,\u201d a state publication, by year and chapter. Those modifications that can be read on the General Assembly\u2019s website will be linked accordingly. Those modifications are as follows: in 1960, chapter 358; in 1975, chapters 14 and 15.<\/p>","references":false,"refers_to":false,"permalink":{"id":1391285,"object_type":"law","relational_id":350972,"identifier":"18.2-445","token":"18.2\/10\/2\/18.2-445","url":"\/18.2-445\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/18.2-445\/","token":"18.2\/10\/2\/18.2-445","dublin_core":{"Title":"Immunity of witnesses","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 18.2-445","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

No witness<\/span> called by the court<\/span> or attorney for the Commonwealth and giving evidence<\/span> for the prosecution<\/span>, either before the grand jury<\/span> or the court<\/span> in any prosecution<\/span>, under this article shall ever be proceeded against for any offense<\/span> of giving, or offering to give, or accepting a bribe committed by him at the time and place indicated in such prosecution<\/span>; but such witness<\/span> shall be compelled to testify, and for refusing to answer questions may, by the court<\/span>, be punished for contempt<\/span>.<\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nIMMUNITY OF WITNESSES (\u00a7 18.2-445)\n\nNo witness called by the court or attorney for the Commonwealth and giving\nevidence for the prosecution, either before the grand jury or the court in any\nprosecution, under this article shall ever be proceeded against for any offense\nof giving, or offering to give, or accepting a bribe committed by him at the\ntime and place indicated in such prosecution; but such witness shall be\ncompelled to testify, and for refusing to answer questions may, by the court, be\npunished for contempt.\n\nHISTORY: Code 1950, \u00a7\u00a7 18.1-280, 18.1-405; 1960, c. 358; 1975, cc. 14, 15.","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"}}