{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-json\/53.1-206.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-text\/53.1-206.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-xml\/53.1-206.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-html\/53.1-206.html"}],"law_id":367672,"edition_id":2,"section_id":367672,"structure_id":52411,"section_number":"53.1-206","catch_line":"When prisoner surrendered as witness; certificate","history":"Code 1950, \u00a7 53-301; 1970, c. 648; 1982, c. 636.","full_text":"Prisoners may be surrendered as witnesses if a judge of any court of record of the United States or of the District of Columbia, or of any state certifies under the seal of such court that:\n\n1\n\nThere is a criminal prosecution pending in such court or that a grand jury investigation has commenced or is about to commence;\n\n2\n\nA person confined in any state correctional facility in Virginia is a material witness in such prosecution or grand jury investigation, and his presence will be required at a time stated;\n\n3\n\nThe officer presenting the certificate is authorized to receive custody of such prisoner and will retain him in his custody until his return to this Commonwealth; and\n\n4\n\nThe prisoner will be safely returned to the custody of the Director at such state correctional facility, as the Director may direct.\n\t\t\tUpon presentation of such certificate to the Director, if he is of the opinion that the ends of justice will be promoted thereby, the Director may, with the approval of the Governor, surrender the prisoner into the custody of the officer named in the certificate.\n\n","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":1368688,"text":"Prisoners may be surrendered as witnesses if a judge of any court of record of the United States or of the District of Columbia, or of any state certifies under the seal of such court that:","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1,"next_prefix":"1"},"1":{"id":1368689,"text":"There is a criminal prosecution pending in such court or that a grand jury investigation has commenced or is about to commence;","type":"section","prefixes":["1"],"prefix":"1","entire_prefix":"1","prefix_anchor":"1","level":1,"prior_prefix":"","next_prefix":"2"},"2":{"id":1368690,"text":"A person confined in any state correctional facility in Virginia is a material witness in such prosecution or grand jury investigation, and his presence will be required at a time stated;","type":"section","prefixes":["2"],"prefix":"2","entire_prefix":"2","prefix_anchor":"2","level":1,"prior_prefix":"1","next_prefix":"3"},"3":{"id":1368691,"text":"The officer presenting the certificate is authorized to receive custody of such prisoner and will retain him in his custody until his return to this Commonwealth; and","type":"section","prefixes":["3"],"prefix":"3","entire_prefix":"3","prefix_anchor":"3","level":1,"prior_prefix":"2","next_prefix":"4"},"4":{"id":1368692,"text":"The prisoner will be safely returned to the custody of the Director at such state correctional facility, as the Director may direct.\n\t\t\tUpon presentation of such certificate to the Director, if he is of the opinion that the ends of justice will be promoted thereby, the Director may, with the approval of the Governor, surrender the prisoner into the custody of the officer named in the certificate.","type":"section","prefixes":["4"],"prefix":"4","entire_prefix":"4","prefix_anchor":"4","level":1,"prior_prefix":"3"}},"ancestry":[{"id":52411,"edition_id":2,"name":"Prisoners as Witnesses or Charged With Other Crimes","identifier":"2","label":"article","depth":3,"order_by":2,"parent_id":52409,"metadata":{"child_laws":4,"child_structures":0},"date_created":"2026-08-02 02:58:28","date_modified":"2026-08-02 12:34:50","permalink":{"id":1466261,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":52411,"identifier":"2","token":"53.1\/7\/2","url":"\/53.1\/7\/2\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":52409,"edition_id":2,"name":"Crimes and Criminal Proceedings Involving Prisoners","identifier":"7","label":"chapter","depth":2,"order_by":7,"parent_id":52379,"metadata":{"child_laws":7,"child_structures":2},"date_created":"2026-08-02 02:58:28","date_modified":"2026-08-02 12:34:50","permalink":{"id":1466245,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":52409,"identifier":"7","token":"53.1\/7","url":"\/53.1\/7\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":52379,"edition_id":2,"name":"Prisons and Other Methods of Correction","identifier":"53.1","label":"title","depth":1,"order_by":117,"parent_id":null,"metadata":{"child_laws":402,"child_structures":56},"date_created":"2026-08-02 02:58:08","date_modified":"2026-08-02 12:34:44","permalink":{"id":1464593,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":52379,"identifier":"53.1","token":"53.1","url":"\/53.1\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}}],"structure_contents":[{"id":367672,"structure_id":52411,"section_number":"53.1-206","catch_line":"When prisoner surrendered as witness; certificate","url":"\/53.1-206\/","token":"53.1\/7\/2\/53.1-206","metadata":false},{"id":367673,"structure_id":52411,"section_number":"53.1-207","catch_line":"Cost of transportation","url":"\/53.1-207\/","token":"53.1\/7\/2\/53.1-207","metadata":false},{"id":367674,"structure_id":52411,"section_number":"53.1-208","catch_line":"Prisoners indicted or charged with crime outside Virginia; certificate; authority of officer with custody of prisoner","url":"\/53.1-208\/","token":"53.1\/7\/2\/53.1-208","metadata":false},{"id":367675,"structure_id":52411,"section_number":"53.1-209","catch_line":"Foreign prisoners to be held in Virginia","url":"\/53.1-209\/","token":"53.1\/7\/2\/53.1-209","metadata":false}],"next_section":{"id":367673,"structure_id":52411,"section_number":"53.1-207","catch_line":"Cost of transportation","url":"\/53.1-207\/","token":"53.1\/7\/2\/53.1-207","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/53.1-206\/","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 1970, chapter 648; in 1982, chapter 636.<\/p>","references":false,"refers_to":false,"permalink":{"id":1466263,"object_type":"law","relational_id":367672,"identifier":"53.1-206","token":"53.1\/7\/2\/53.1-206","url":"\/53.1-206\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/53.1-206\/","token":"53.1\/7\/2\/53.1-206","dublin_core":{"Title":"When prisoner surrendered as witness; certificate","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 53.1-206","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

Prisoners may be surrendered as witnesses if a judge<\/span> of any court<\/span> of record of the United States or of the District of Columbia, or of any state certifies under the seal of such court<\/span> that:<\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

1.<\/span> There is a criminal prosecution<\/span> pending in such court<\/span> or that a grand jury<\/span> investigation has commenced or is about to commence; <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

2.<\/span> A person confined in any state correctional facility<\/span> in Virginia is a material witness<\/span> in such prosecution<\/span> or grand jury<\/span> investigation, and his presence will be required at a time stated; <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

3.<\/span> The officer presenting the certificate is authorized to receive custody<\/span> of such prisoner and will retain him in his custody<\/span> until his return to this Commonwealth; and <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

4.<\/span> The prisoner will be safely returned to the custody<\/span> of the Director<\/span> at such state correctional facility<\/span>, as the Director<\/span> may direct.\n\t\t\tUpon presentation of such certificate to the Director<\/span>, if he is of the opinion<\/span> that the ends of justice will be promoted thereby, the Director<\/span> may, with the approval of the Governor, surrender the prisoner into the custody<\/span> of the officer named in the certificate. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nWHEN PRISONER SURRENDERED AS WITNESS; CERTIFICATE (\u00a7 53.1-206)\n\nPrisoners may be surrendered as witnesses if a judge of any court of record of\nthe United States or of the District of Columbia, or of any state certifies\nunder the seal of such court that:\n\n1. There is a criminal prosecution pending in such court or that a grand jury\ninvestigation has commenced or is about to commence;\n\n2. A person confined in any state correctional facility in Virginia is a\nmaterial witness in such prosecution or grand jury investigation, and his\npresence will be required at a time stated;\n\n3. The officer presenting the certificate is authorized to receive custody of\nsuch prisoner and will retain him in his custody until his return to this\nCommonwealth; and\n\n4. The prisoner will be safely returned to the custody of the Director at such\nstate correctional facility, as the Director may direct.\n\t\t\tUpon presentation of such certificate to the Director, if he is of the\nopinion that the ends of justice will be promoted thereby, the Director may,\nwith the approval of the Governor, surrender the prisoner into the custody of\nthe officer named in the certificate.\n\nHISTORY: Code 1950, \u00a7 53-301; 1970, c. 648; 1982, c. 636.","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"}}