Virginia statute
Va. Code Ann. § 19.2-327.18 — Hearing on petition for vacatur
Current through 2026 Regular Session
Part of Chapter 19.4: Issuance of Writ of Vacatur for Victims of Human Trafficking, Code of Virginia.
Full text of Va. Code Ann. § 19.2-327.18
Statutory text current through the 2026 Regular Session. This publication reproduces the text of the Code of Virginia from the official Virginia Law Portal API published by the Virginia General Assembly's Division of Legislative Automated Systems; it is not the official Code of Virginia.
A. If the attorney for the Commonwealth of the county or city in which the petition is filed (i) gives written notice to the court that he does not object to the petition and (ii) stipulates in such written notice that the petitioner was arrested for, charged with, or convicted or adjudicated delinquent of a qualifying offense and that the petitioner was a victim of human trafficking at the time he committed, or was arrested for or charged with, the qualifying offense and his status as a victim of human trafficking was the proximate cause of such arrest, charge, or commission, the circuit court may grant the writ and vacate the qualifying offense without conducting a hearing.
B. If the attorney for the Commonwealth of the county or city in which the petition is filed objects to the petition or does not file an answer, the court shall conduct a hearing on the petition after reasonable notice has been provided to both the petitioner and the attorney for the Commonwealth. The attorney for the Commonwealth shall make reasonable efforts to notify any victim, as defined in § 19.2-11.01 , of any qualifying offense of such hearing. In any such hearing, the attorney for the Commonwealth may proffer any evidence pertaining to the guilt or innocence of the petitioner, including evidence that was suppressed at trial. The circuit court shall not be required to conduct a hearing if it has previously dismissed a petition for vacatur from the same petitioner for the same qualifying offense.
C. Upon finding that the petitioner has by a preponderance of the evidence proven the elements contained in subsection A of § 19.2-327.17 , the circuit court shall grant the writ and vacate the qualifying offense. If the petitioner fails to prove any of these elements, the court shall dismiss the petition. Additionally, the circuit court may issue a writ of vacatur for any specifically identified ancillary matter.
D. Prior to any decision to grant the writ, the court shall determine whether any restitution is unpaid under the terms of the sentencing order for the qualifying offense. If the court grants the writ, the petitioner shall be forever discharged from any such restitution obligation, and the victim, as defined in § 19.2-11.01 , of the qualifying offense shall be deemed a victim of crime as defined in § 19.2-368.2 . Such victim shall be eligible to petition for awards pursuant to Chapter 21.1 (§ 19.2-368.1 et seq.), and his claim for restitution reimbursement shall be deemed to accrue on the date the court grants the writ.
E. The court may grant the writ and vacate the qualifying offense and ancillary matter, if any, regardless of whether any person other than the petitioner has been arrested for, charged with, or convicted or adjudicated delinquent of an offense related to the petitioner being a victim of human trafficking.
F. There shall be a rebuttable presumption that the petitioner was a victim of human trafficking if there is official documentation of the petitioner's status as a victim of human trafficking at the time of the offense. If official documentation addressing proximate cause is offered, that documentation shall establish a prima facie case of proximate cause.
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