{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-json\/53.1-229.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-text\/53.1-229.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-xml\/53.1-229.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-html\/53.1-229.html"}],"law_id":367700,"edition_id":2,"section_id":367700,"structure_id":52416,"section_number":"53.1-229","catch_line":"Powers vested in Governor","history":"Code 1950, \u00a7 53-228; 1970, c. 648; 1982, c. 636; 2021, Sp. Sess. I, cc. 344, 345.","full_text":"In accordance with the provisions of Article V, Section 12 of the Constitution of Virginia, the power to grant pardons or reprieves is vested in the Governor.\n\n","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":1368764,"text":"In accordance with the provisions of Article V, Section 12 of the Constitution of Virginia, the power to grant pardons or reprieves is vested in the Governor.","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1}},"ancestry":[{"id":52416,"edition_id":2,"name":"Executive Clemency","identifier":"12","label":"chapter","depth":2,"order_by":10,"parent_id":52379,"metadata":{"child_laws":3,"child_structures":0},"date_created":"2026-08-02 02:58:31","date_modified":"2026-08-02 12:34:51","permalink":{"id":1464797,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":52416,"identifier":"12","token":"53.1\/12","url":"\/53.1\/12\/","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":367700,"structure_id":52416,"section_number":"53.1-229","catch_line":"Powers vested in Governor","url":"\/53.1-229\/","token":"53.1\/12\/53.1-229","metadata":false},{"id":367704,"structure_id":52416,"section_number":"53.1-230","catch_line":"Repealed","url":"\/53.1-230\/","token":"53.1\/12\/53.1-230","metadata":false},{"id":367707,"structure_id":52416,"section_number":"53.1-231","catch_line":"Investigation of cases for executive clemency by Parole Board","url":"\/53.1-231\/","token":"53.1\/12\/53.1-231","metadata":{"court_decisions":{"0":{"name":"In Re Phillips","case_number":"Record 020479","citation":"574 S.E.2d 270","date":"2003-01-10","url":"https:\/\/www.courtlistener.com\/opinion\/1059264\/in-re-phillips\/","abstract":" .\u202f.\u202f. 574 S.E.2d 270 (2003) .\u202f.\u202f. ","court_html":"<abbr title=\"Supreme Court of Virginia\">SCV<\/abbr>"},"1":{"name":"Johnathan Christopher Montgomery v. Commonwealth of Virginia","case_number":"2300121","citation":"62 Va. App. 656","date":"2013-12-20","url":"https:\/\/www.courtlistener.com\/opinion\/2647214\/johnathan-christopher-montgomery-v-commonwealth-of-virginia\/","abstract":" .\u202f.\u202f. Upon a Petition for a Writ of Actual Innocence .\u202f.\u202f. ","court_html":"<abbr title=\"Court of Appeals\">COA<\/abbr>"},"2":{"name":"Howell v. McAuliffe","case_number":"Record 160784","citation":"788 S.E.2d 706","date":"2016-07-22","url":"https:\/\/www.courtlistener.com\/opinion\/4241135\/howell-v-mcauliffe\/","abstract":" .\u202f.\u202f. Amici Curiae: Robert N. Tracci; Edward Stein, Norfolk; W. Lyle Carver; Darrel W. Puckett, .\u202f.\u202f. ","court_html":"<abbr title=\"Supreme Court of Virginia\">SCV<\/abbr>"},"3":{"name":"Lee v. Virginia State Board of Elections","case_number":"Civil Action No. 3:15CV357-HEH","citation":"155 F. Supp. 3d 572","date":"2015-12-18","url":"https:\/\/www.courtlistener.com\/opinion\/7317766\/lee-v-virginia-state-board-of-elections\/","abstract":" .\u202f.\u202f. MEMORANDUM OPINION .\u202f.\u202f. ","court_html":"District Court, E.D. Virginia"},"4":{"name":"Ted Anthony Jennings, Jr. v. Commonwealth of Virginia","case_number":"1407223","citation":null,"date":"2024-12-03","url":"https:\/\/www.courtlistener.com\/opinion\/10286907\/ted-anthony-jennings-jr-v-commonwealth-of-virginia\/","abstract":" .\u202f.\u202f. COURT OF APPEALS OF VIRGINIA .\u202f.\u202f. ","court_html":"<abbr title=\"Court of Appeals\">COA<\/abbr>"},"5":{"name":"Howell v. McAuliffe","case_number":"160784","citation":null,"date":"2016-07-22","url":"https:\/\/www.courtlistener.com\/opinion\/4249011\/howell-v-mcauliffe\/","abstract":" .\u202f.\u202f. PRESENT: All the Justices .\u202f.\u202f. ","court_html":"<abbr title=\"Supreme Court of Virginia\">SCV<\/abbr>"}}}}],"next_section":{"id":367704,"structure_id":52416,"section_number":"53.1-230","catch_line":"Repealed","url":"\/53.1-230\/","token":"53.1\/12\/53.1-230","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/53.1-229\/","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 1970, chapter 648; in 1982, chapter 636.<\/p>","references":false,"refers_to":false,"permalink":{"id":1464799,"object_type":"law","relational_id":367700,"identifier":"53.1-229","token":"53.1\/12\/53.1-229","url":"\/53.1-229\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/53.1-229\/","token":"53.1\/12\/53.1-229","dublin_core":{"Title":"Powers vested in Governor","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 53.1-229","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<section><p>In accordance with the provisions of Article V, Section 12 of the Constitution of Virginia, the power to grant <span class=\"dictionary\">pardons<\/span> or reprieves is vested in the Governor.<\/p><\/section>","plain_text":"                                 CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nPOWERS VESTED IN GOVERNOR (\u00a7 53.1-229)\n\nIn accordance with the provisions of Article V, Section 12 of the Constitution\nof Virginia, the power to grant pardons or reprieves is vested in the Governor.\n\nHISTORY: Code 1950, \u00a7 53-228; 1970, c. 648; 1982, c. 636; 2021, Sp. Sess. I,\ncc. 344, 345.","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"}}