The defendant in any criminal prosecution may plead as many several matters, whether of law or fact, as he shall think necessary, and he may file pleas in bar at the same time with pleas in abatement, or within a reasonable time thereafter; but the issues on the pleas in abatement shall be first tried.
Va. Code Ann. § 19.2-255
Defendant allowed to plead several matters of law or fact
Code 1950, § 19.1-242; 1960, c. 366; 1975, c. 495.
Official source: Virginia Law Portal (LIS). Reproduced from public-domain Virginia statutes; confirm against the official source for the current text. Not legal advice.