{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/18.2-153.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/18.2-153.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/18.2-153.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/18.2-153.html"}],"law_id":75741,"edition_id":1,"section_id":75741,"structure_id":13823,"section_number":"18.2-153","catch_line":"Obstructing or injuring canal, railroad, power line, etc","history":"Code 1950, \u00a7 18.1-147; 1960, c. 358; 1975, cc. 14, 15.","full_text":"If any person maliciously obstruct, remove or injure any part of a canal, railroad or urban, suburban or interurban electric railway, or any lines of any electric power company, or any bridge or fixture thereof, or maliciously obstruct, tamper with, injure or remove any machinery, engine, car, trolley, supply or return wires or any other work thereof, or maliciously open, close, displace, tamper with or injure any switch, switch point, switch lever, signal lever or signal of any such company, whereby the life of any person on such canal, railroad, urban, suburban or interurban electric railway, is put in peril, he shall be guilty of a Class 4 felony; and, in the event of the death of any such person resulting from such malicious act, the person so offending shall be deemed guilty of murder, the degree to be determined by the jury or the court trying the case without a jury.\n\t\tIf any such act be committed unlawfully, but not maliciously, the person so offending shall be guilty of a Class 6 felony; and in the event of the death of any such person resulting from such unlawful act, the person so offending shall be deemed guilty of involuntary manslaughter.","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":271968,"text":"If any person maliciously obstruct, remove or injure any part of a canal, railroad or urban, suburban or interurban electric railway, or any lines of any electric power company, or any bridge or fixture thereof, or maliciously obstruct, tamper with, injure or remove any machinery, engine, car, trolley, supply or return wires or any other work thereof, or maliciously open, close, displace, tamper with or injure any switch, switch point, switch lever, signal lever or signal of any such company, whereby the life of any person on such canal, railroad, urban, suburban or interurban electric railway, is put in peril, he shall be guilty of a Class 4 felony; and, in the event of the death of any such person resulting from such malicious act, the person so offending shall be deemed guilty of murder, the degree to be determined by the jury or the court trying the case without a jury.\n\t\tIf any such act be committed unlawfully, but not maliciously, the person so offending shall be guilty of a Class 6 felony; and in the event of the death of any such person resulting from such unlawful act, the person so offending shall be deemed guilty of involuntary manslaughter.","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1}},"ancestry":[{"id":13823,"edition_id":1,"name":"Offenses Relating to Railroads and Other Utilities","identifier":"8","label":"article","depth":3,"order_by":1,"parent_id":13243,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:45:59","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:45:59","permalink":{"id":165843,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":13823,"identifier":"8","token":"18.2\/5\/8","url":"\/18.2\/5\/8\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":13243,"edition_id":1,"name":"Crimes Against Property","identifier":"5","label":"chapter","depth":2,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12972,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:44:30","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:44:30","permalink":{"id":165299,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":13243,"identifier":"5","token":"18.2\/5","url":"\/18.2\/5\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12972,"edition_id":1,"name":"Crimes and Offenses Generally","identifier":"18.2","label":"title","depth":1,"order_by":1,"parent_id":null,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:44:05","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:44:05","permalink":{"id":164139,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12972,"identifier":"18.2","token":"18.2","url":"\/18.2\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}}],"structure_contents":[{"id":75741,"structure_id":13823,"section_number":"18.2-153","catch_line":"Obstructing or injuring canal, railroad, power line, etc","url":"\/18.2-153\/","token":"18.2\/5\/8\/18.2-153","metadata":false},{"id":74056,"structure_id":13823,"section_number":"18.2-154","catch_line":"Shooting at or throwing missiles, etc., at train, car, vessel, etc.; penalty","url":"\/18.2-154\/","token":"18.2\/5\/8\/18.2-154","metadata":false},{"id":78419,"structure_id":13823,"section_number":"18.2-155","catch_line":"Injuring, etc., signal used by railroad","url":"\/18.2-155\/","token":"18.2\/5\/8\/18.2-155","metadata":false},{"id":63109,"structure_id":13823,"section_number":"18.2-156","catch_line":"Taking or removing waste or packing from journal boxes","url":"\/18.2-156\/","token":"18.2\/5\/8\/18.2-156","metadata":false},{"id":70290,"structure_id":13823,"section_number":"18.2-157","catch_line":"Injury to fences or cattle stops along line of railroad","url":"\/18.2-157\/","token":"18.2\/5\/8\/18.2-157","metadata":false},{"id":84549,"structure_id":13823,"section_number":"18.2-158","catch_line":"Driving, etc., animal on track to recover damages","url":"\/18.2-158\/","token":"18.2\/5\/8\/18.2-158","metadata":false},{"id":87366,"structure_id":13823,"section_number":"18.2-159","catch_line":"Trespassing on railroad track","url":"\/18.2-159\/","token":"18.2\/5\/8\/18.2-159","metadata":false},{"id":62718,"structure_id":13823,"section_number":"18.2-160","catch_line":"Trespassing on railroad trains","url":"\/18.2-160\/","token":"18.2\/5\/8\/18.2-160","metadata":false},{"id":77630,"structure_id":13823,"section_number":"18.2-160.1","catch_line":"Boarding or riding transportation district train without lawful payment of fare; penalty","url":"\/18.2-160.1\/","token":"18.2\/5\/8\/18.2-160.1","metadata":false},{"id":63712,"structure_id":13823,"section_number":"18.2-160.2","catch_line":"Trespassing on public transportation; penalty","url":"\/18.2-160.2\/","token":"18.2\/5\/8\/18.2-160.2","metadata":false},{"id":54837,"structure_id":13823,"section_number":"18.2-160.3","catch_line":"Fare enforcement inspectors; failure to produce proof of payment of fare; penalty","url":"\/18.2-160.3\/","token":"18.2\/5\/8\/18.2-160.3","metadata":false},{"id":86771,"structure_id":13823,"section_number":"18.2-161","catch_line":"Repealed","url":"\/18.2-161\/","token":"18.2\/5\/8\/18.2-161","metadata":false},{"id":82358,"structure_id":13823,"section_number":"18.2-162","catch_line":"Damage or trespass to public services or utilities","url":"\/18.2-162\/","token":"18.2\/5\/8\/18.2-162","metadata":false},{"id":60327,"structure_id":13823,"section_number":"18.2-162.1","catch_line":"Diverting wastewater line; diverting or wasting public water supply","url":"\/18.2-162.1\/","token":"18.2\/5\/8\/18.2-162.1","metadata":false},{"id":82135,"structure_id":13823,"section_number":"18.2-163","catch_line":"Tampering with metering device; diverting service; civil liability","url":"\/18.2-163\/","token":"18.2\/5\/8\/18.2-163","metadata":false},{"id":74499,"structure_id":13823,"section_number":"18.2-164","catch_line":"Unlawful use of, or injury to, telephone and telegraph lines; copying or obstructing messages; penalty","url":"\/18.2-164\/","token":"18.2\/5\/8\/18.2-164","metadata":false},{"id":69498,"structure_id":13823,"section_number":"18.2-165","catch_line":"Unlawful use of, or injury to, television or radio signals and equipment","url":"\/18.2-165\/","token":"18.2\/5\/8\/18.2-165","metadata":false},{"id":70831,"structure_id":13823,"section_number":"18.2-165.1","catch_line":"Tampering with or unlawful use of cable television service","url":"\/18.2-165.1\/","token":"18.2\/5\/8\/18.2-165.1","metadata":false},{"id":78641,"structure_id":13823,"section_number":"18.2-165.2","catch_line":"Unlawful interference with emergency two-way radio communications; penalty","url":"\/18.2-165.2\/","token":"18.2\/5\/8\/18.2-165.2","metadata":false},{"id":85910,"structure_id":13823,"section_number":"18.2-166","catch_line":"Disclosing or inducing disclosure of certain information concerning customers of telephone companies","url":"\/18.2-166\/","token":"18.2\/5\/8\/18.2-166","metadata":false},{"id":78055,"structure_id":13823,"section_number":"18.2-167","catch_line":"Selling or transferring certain telephonic instruments","url":"\/18.2-167\/","token":"18.2\/5\/8\/18.2-167","metadata":false},{"id":76266,"structure_id":13823,"section_number":"18.2-167.1","catch_line":"Interception or monitoring of customer telephone calls; penalty","url":"\/18.2-167.1\/","token":"18.2\/5\/8\/18.2-167.1","metadata":false}],"next_section":{"id":74056,"structure_id":13823,"section_number":"18.2-154","catch_line":"Shooting at or throwing missiles, etc., at train, car, vessel, etc.; penalty","url":"\/18.2-154\/","token":"18.2\/5\/8\/18.2-154","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/18.2-153\/","history_text":"<p>The record of this law\u2019s original creation isn\u2019t available online. It has been modified 2 times. Those modifications are cataloged by \u201cThe Acts of Assembly,\u201d a state publication, by year and chapter. Those modifications that can be read on the General Assembly\u2019s website will be linked accordingly. Those modifications are as follows: in 1960, chapter 358; in 1975, chapters 14 and 15.<\/p>","references":[{"id":80246,"section_number":"17.1-805","catch_line":"Adoption of initial discretionary sentencing guideline midpoints","order_by":null,"url":"\/17.1-805\/"},{"id":55101,"section_number":"19.2-303.2","catch_line":"Persons charged with first offense may be placed on probation","order_by":null,"url":"\/19.2-303.2\/"}],"refers_to":false,"permalink":{"id":165845,"object_type":"law","relational_id":75741,"identifier":"18.2-153","token":"18.2\/5\/8\/18.2-153","url":"\/18.2-153\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/18.2-153\/","token":"18.2\/5\/8\/18.2-153","dublin_core":{"Title":"Obstructing or injuring canal, railroad, power line, etc","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 18.2-153","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<section><p>If any person maliciously obstruct, remove or injure any part of a canal, railroad or urban, suburban or interurban electric railway, or any lines of any electric power company, or any bridge or fixture thereof, or maliciously obstruct, tamper with, injure or remove any machinery, engine, car, trolley, supply or return wires or any other work thereof, or maliciously open, close, displace, tamper with or injure any switch, switch point, switch lever, signal lever or signal of any such company, whereby the life of any person on such canal, railroad, urban, suburban or interurban electric railway, is put in peril, he shall be guilty of a Class 4 <span class=\"dictionary\">felony<\/span>; and, in the event of the death of any such person resulting from such <span class=\"dictionary\">malicious<\/span> act, the person so offending shall be deemed guilty of <span class=\"dictionary\">murder<\/span>, the degree to be determined by the <span class=\"dictionary\">jury<\/span> or the <span class=\"dictionary\">court<\/span> trying the case without a <span class=\"dictionary\">jury<\/span>.\n\t\tIf any such act be committed unlawfully, but not maliciously, the person so offending shall be guilty of a Class 6 <span class=\"dictionary\">felony<\/span>; and in the event of the death of any such person resulting from such unlawful act, the person so offending shall be deemed guilty of <span class=\"dictionary\">involuntary manslaughter<\/span>.<\/p><\/section>","plain_text":"                                 CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nOBSTRUCTING OR INJURING CANAL, RAILROAD, POWER LINE, ETC (\u00a7 18.2-153)\n\nIf any person maliciously obstruct, remove or injure any part of a canal,\nrailroad or urban, suburban or interurban electric railway, or any lines of any\nelectric power company, or any bridge or fixture thereof, or maliciously\nobstruct, tamper with, injure or remove any machinery, engine, car, trolley,\nsupply or return wires or any other work thereof, or maliciously open, close,\ndisplace, tamper with or injure any switch, switch point, switch lever, signal\nlever or signal of any such company, whereby the life of any person on such\ncanal, railroad, urban, suburban or interurban electric railway, is put in\nperil, he shall be guilty of a Class 4 felony; and, in the event of the death of\nany such person resulting from such malicious act, the person so offending shall\nbe deemed guilty of murder, the degree to be determined by the jury or the court\ntrying the case without a jury.\n\t\tIf any such act be committed unlawfully, but not maliciously, the person so\noffending shall be guilty of a Class 6 felony; and in the event of the death of\nany such person resulting from such unlawful act, the person so offending shall\nbe deemed guilty of involuntary manslaughter.\n\nHISTORY: Code 1950, \u00a7 18.1-147; 1960, c. 358; 1975, cc. 14, 15.","edition":{"id":1,"name":"2025","slug":"2025","date_created":"2026-06-21 22:39:22","date_modified":"2026-06-21 22:39:22","current":1,"order_by":1,"last_import":null}}