Opinion ID: 1323067
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Motions Relating to Jury

Text: At the beginning of the trial, Pope moved the court to empanel two separate juries, one to try the guilt phase and the other to determine his penalty in the event of conviction. When the court denied that motion, Pope moved the court to try the entire case without a jury. The Commonwealth opposed the motion and the court denied it. The court correctly denied both motions. We held in Pruett, 232 Va. at 277, 351 S.E.2d at 7-8, and in Watkins, 229 Va. at 479, 331 S.E.2d at 431, that Code § 19.2-264.3 requires that the same jury determine both guilt and punishment and that this statutory procedure is constitutional. We reaffirm those holdings. Code § 19.2-257 provides that an accused person who pleads not guilty may, with the advice of counsel, waive jury trial and may be tried by the court without a jury, but only with the concurrence of the attorney for the Commonwealth and of the court entered of record. Thus, a jury may be waived only with the consent of the defendant, the Commonwealth, and the court. The statutory requirement of consent by the Commonwealth and by the court does not violate any constitutional right of the defendant. Vines v. Muncy, 553 F.2d 342, 345-46 (4th Cir.), cert. denied, 434 U.S. 851, 98 S.Ct. 163, 54 L.Ed.2d 120 (1977) (applying Virginia law).