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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>351313</law_id><section_number>19.2-154</section_number><catch_line>Death or disability of judge during trial; how another judge procured to continue with trial</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2026/" slug="2026" current="TRUE" last_updated="2026-08-02">2026</edition><structure><unit label="title" level="1" order_by="54" identifier="19.2">Criminal Procedure</unit><unit label="chapter" level="2" order_by="13" identifier="10">Disability of Judge or Attorney for Commonwealth; Court- Appointed Counsel; Interpreters; Transcripts</unit><unit label="article" level="3" order_by="1" identifier="1">Disability of Judge</unit></structure><text>
						<section><p>If by reason of death, sickness or other disability the <span class="dictionary">judge</span> who presided at a criminal <span class="dictionary">jury trial</span> is unable to proceed with and finish the trial, another <span class="dictionary">judge</span> of that <span class="dictionary">court</span> or a <span class="dictionary">judge</span> designated by the Chief Justice of the Supreme <span class="dictionary">Court</span> or by a justice designated by him for that purpose, may proceed with and finish the trial or, in his discretion, may grant and preside at a new trial. If by reason of such disability, the <span class="dictionary">judge</span> who presided at any trial is unable to perform the duties to be performed by the <span class="dictionary">court</span> after a <span class="dictionary">finding</span> of guilty by the jury or the <span class="dictionary">court</span>, another <span class="dictionary">judge</span> of that <span class="dictionary">court</span>, or a <span class="dictionary">judge</span> designated as provided in the preceding sentence, may perform those duties or, in his discretion, may grant and preside at a new trial. Before proceeding with the trial or performing such duties, such <span class="dictionary">judge</span> shall certify that he has familiarized himself with the record of the trial.</p></section></text><history>1975, c. 495.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
