Any person arrested may be (i) taken before a court of competent jurisdiction for trial, (ii) committed to jail pending trial, (iii) admitted to bail or released on recognizance as provided by general law, or (iv) issued a summons requiring him to appear for trial. The time specified in the summons shall not be less than five days from the date of arrest unless such person requests an earlier hearing. Any person failing to appear as directed in the summons shall be guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor, regardless of the disposition of, and in addition to, the charge upon which he was originally arrested. If the person fails to appear, a warrant for his arrest may be issued.

Attorney's Note

Under the Virginia Code, punishments for crimes depend on the classification. In the case of this section:
ClassPrisonFine
Class 1 misdemeanorup to 12 monthsup to $2,500
For details, see Va. Code § 18.2-11

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Terms Used In Virginia Code 28.2-902

  • Arrest: Taking physical custody of a person by lawful authority.
  • Bail: Security given for the release of a criminal defendant or witness from legal custody (usually in the form of money) to secure his/her appearance on the day and time appointed.
  • Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
  • Officer: means a member of the Virginia Marine Police. See Virginia Code 28.2-100
  • Person: includes any individual, corporation, partnership, association, cooperative, limited liability company, trust, joint venture, government, political subdivision, or any other legal or commercial entity and any successor, representative, agent, agency, or instrumentality thereof. See Virginia Code 1-230
  • Summons: Another word for subpoena used by the criminal justice system.
  • Trial: A hearing that takes place when the defendant pleads "not guilty" and witnesses are required to come to court to give evidence.

Any property seized under the provisions of subsection A of § 28.2-900 may be held by the officer or other official who made the seizure, pending final outcome of the legal proceedings.

Code 1950, § 28-209; 1950, p. 978; 1962, c. 406, § 28.1-186; 1992, c. 836.