{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-json\/19.2-259.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-text\/19.2-259.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-xml\/19.2-259.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-html\/19.2-259.html"}],"law_id":351504,"edition_id":2,"section_id":351504,"structure_id":50270,"section_number":"19.2-259","catch_line":"On trial for felony, accused to be present; when court may enter plea for him, and trial go on","history":"Code 1950, \u00a7 19.1-240; 1960, c. 366; 1975, c. 495.","full_text":"A person tried for felony shall be personally present during the trial. If when arraigned he will not plead or answer and does not confess his guilt the court shall have the plea of not guilty entered and the trial shall proceed as if the accused had put in that plea. But for the purposes of this section a motion for a continuance, whether made before or after arraignment, shall not be deemed to be part of the trial.\n\n","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":1308685,"text":"A person tried for felony shall be personally present during the trial. If when arraigned he will not plead or answer and does not confess his guilt the court shall have the plea of not guilty entered and the trial shall proceed as if the accused had put in that plea. But for the purposes of this section a motion for a continuance, whether made before or after arraignment, shall not be deemed to be part of the trial.","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1}},"ancestry":[{"id":50270,"edition_id":2,"name":"Arraignment; Pleas; Trial Without Jury","identifier":"3","label":"article","depth":3,"order_by":3,"parent_id":50266,"metadata":{"child_laws":9,"child_structures":0},"date_created":"2026-08-02 02:25:44","date_modified":"2026-08-02 12:30:44","permalink":{"id":1396063,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":50270,"identifier":"3","token":"19.2\/15\/3","url":"\/19.2\/15\/3\/","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":351498,"structure_id":50270,"section_number":"19.2-254","catch_line":"Arraignment; pleas; when court may refuse to accept plea; rejection of plea agreement; recusal","url":"\/19.2-254\/","token":"19.2\/15\/3\/19.2-254","metadata":false},{"id":351496,"structure_id":50270,"section_number":"19.2-254.1","catch_line":"Procedure in traffic infraction cases","url":"\/19.2-254.1\/","token":"19.2\/15\/3\/19.2-254.1","metadata":false},{"id":351497,"structure_id":50270,"section_number":"19.2-254.2","catch_line":"Procedure in nontraffic offenses for which prepayment is authorized","url":"\/19.2-254.2\/","token":"19.2\/15\/3\/19.2-254.2","metadata":false},{"id":351499,"structure_id":50270,"section_number":"19.2-255","catch_line":"Defendant allowed to plead several matters of law or fact","url":"\/19.2-255\/","token":"19.2\/15\/3\/19.2-255","metadata":false},{"id":351500,"structure_id":50270,"section_number":"19.2-256","catch_line":"Approvers","url":"\/19.2-256\/","token":"19.2\/15\/3\/19.2-256","metadata":false},{"id":351501,"structure_id":50270,"section_number":"19.2-257","catch_line":"Trial without jury in felony cases","url":"\/19.2-257\/","token":"19.2\/15\/3\/19.2-257","metadata":false},{"id":351503,"structure_id":50270,"section_number":"19.2-258","catch_line":"Trial of misdemeanors by court without jury; failure to appear deemed waiver of jury","url":"\/19.2-258\/","token":"19.2\/15\/3\/19.2-258","metadata":false},{"id":351502,"structure_id":50270,"section_number":"19.2-258.1","catch_line":"Trial of traffic infractions; measure of proof; failure to appear","url":"\/19.2-258.1\/","token":"19.2\/15\/3\/19.2-258.1","metadata":false},{"id":351504,"structure_id":50270,"section_number":"19.2-259","catch_line":"On trial for felony, accused to be present; when court may enter plea for him, and trial go on","url":"\/19.2-259\/","token":"19.2\/15\/3\/19.2-259","metadata":false}],"previous_section":{"id":351502,"structure_id":50270,"section_number":"19.2-258.1","catch_line":"Trial of traffic infractions; measure of proof; failure to appear","url":"\/19.2-258.1\/","token":"19.2\/15\/3\/19.2-258.1","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/19.2-259\/","history_text":"<p>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 366; in 1975, chapter 495.<\/p>","references":false,"refers_to":false,"permalink":{"id":1396097,"object_type":"law","relational_id":351504,"identifier":"19.2-259","token":"19.2\/15\/3\/19.2-259","url":"\/19.2-259\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/19.2-259\/","token":"19.2\/15\/3\/19.2-259","dublin_core":{"Title":"On trial for felony, accused to be present; when court may enter plea for him, and trial go on","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 19.2-259","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<section><p>A person tried for <span class=\"dictionary\">felony<\/span> shall be personally present during the <span class=\"dictionary\">trial<\/span>. If when arraigned he will not plead or answer and does not confess his guilt the <span class=\"dictionary\">court<\/span> shall have the <span class=\"dictionary\">plea<\/span> of not guilty entered and the <span class=\"dictionary\">trial<\/span> shall proceed as if the <span class=\"dictionary\">accused<\/span> had put in that <span class=\"dictionary\">plea<\/span>. But for the purposes of this section a <span class=\"dictionary\">motion<\/span> for a <span class=\"dictionary\">continuance<\/span>, whether made before or after <span class=\"dictionary\">arraignment<\/span>, shall not be deemed to be part of the <span class=\"dictionary\">trial<\/span>.<\/p><\/section>","plain_text":"                                 CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nON TRIAL FOR FELONY, ACCUSED TO BE PRESENT; WHEN COURT MAY ENTER PLEA FOR HIM,\nAND TRIAL GO ON (\u00a7 19.2-259)\n\nA person tried for felony shall be personally present during the trial. If when\narraigned he will not plead or answer and does not confess his guilt the court\nshall have the plea of not guilty entered and the trial shall proceed as if the\naccused had put in that plea. But for the purposes of this section a motion for\na continuance, whether made before or after arraignment, shall not be deemed to\nbe part of the trial.\n\nHISTORY: Code 1950, \u00a7 19.1-240; 1960, c. 366; 1975, c. 495.","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"}}