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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>367626</law_id><section_number>53.1-17</section_number><catch_line>Defense of Department of Corrections employees</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="117" identifier="53.1">Prisons and Other Methods of Correction</unit><unit label="chapter" level="2" order_by="1" identifier="1">Administration Generally</unit><unit label="article" level="3" order_by="3" identifier="3">Department of Corrections and Director of Corrections</unit></structure><text>
						<section><p>If any employee of the <span class="dictionary">Department</span> shall be brought before any regulatory or administrative body, summoned before any regular or special <span class="dictionary">grand jury</span>, or, arrested, indicted, or prosecuted on any charge arising out of any act committed in the discharge of his official duties, the <span class="dictionary">Director</span> may, with the approval of the Governor, pay in whole or in part, <span class="dictionary">counsel</span> employed by such employee to represent him, provided he is neither convicted nor terminated from his employment. Such compensation shall be paid from funds appropriated to the <span class="dictionary">Department</span>.</p></section></text><history>Code 1950, &#xA7;&#xA7; 53-16.1, 53-19.19; 1958, c. 542; 1970, c. 648; 1974, cc. 44, 45; 1976, c. 517; 1982, c. 636; 1989, c. 298.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
