{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/18.2-33.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/18.2-33.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/18.2-33.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/18.2-33.html"}],"law_id":80906,"edition_id":1,"section_id":80906,"structure_id":15120,"section_number":"18.2-33","catch_line":"Felony homicide defined; punishment","history":"1975, cc. 14, 15; 1999, c. 282.","full_text":"The killing of one accidentally, contrary to the intention of the parties, while in the prosecution of some felonious act other than those specified in \u00a7\u00a7 18.2-31 and 18.2-32, is murder of the second degree and is punishable by confinement in a state correctional facility for not less than five years nor more than forty years.","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":290023,"text":"The killing of one accidentally, contrary to the intention of the parties, while in the prosecution of some felonious act other than those specified in \u00a7\u00a7 18.2-31 and 18.2-32, is murder of the second degree and is punishable by confinement in a state correctional facility for not less than five years nor more than forty years.","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1}},"ancestry":[{"id":15120,"edition_id":1,"name":"Homicide","identifier":"1","label":"article","depth":3,"order_by":1,"parent_id":13100,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:52:17","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:52:17","permalink":{"id":164765,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":15120,"identifier":"1","token":"18.2\/4\/1","url":"\/18.2\/4\/1\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":13100,"edition_id":1,"name":"Crimes Against the Person","identifier":"4","label":"chapter","depth":2,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12972,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:44:17","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:44:17","permalink":{"id":164763,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":13100,"identifier":"4","token":"18.2\/4","url":"\/18.2\/4\/","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":77418,"structure_id":15120,"section_number":"18.2-30","catch_line":"Murder and manslaughter declared felonies","url":"\/18.2-30\/","token":"18.2\/4\/1\/18.2-30","metadata":false},{"id":79946,"structure_id":15120,"section_number":"18.2-31","catch_line":"Aggravated murder defined; 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operating a watercraft while under the influence; penalties","url":"\/18.2-36.2\/","token":"18.2\/4\/1\/18.2-36.2","metadata":false},{"id":66815,"structure_id":15120,"section_number":"18.2-36.3","catch_line":"Involuntary manslaughter; certain drug offenses","url":"\/18.2-36.3\/","token":"18.2\/4\/1\/18.2-36.3","metadata":false},{"id":86725,"structure_id":15120,"section_number":"18.2-37","catch_line":"How and where homicide prosecuted and punished if death occur without the Commonwealth","url":"\/18.2-37\/","token":"18.2\/4\/1\/18.2-37","metadata":false},{"id":60034,"structure_id":15120,"section_number":"18.2-37.1","catch_line":"Certain matters not to constitute defenses","url":"\/18.2-37.1\/","token":"18.2\/4\/1\/18.2-37.1","metadata":false}],"previous_section":{"id":69091,"structure_id":15120,"section_number":"18.2-32.3","catch_line":"Human infant; independent and separate existence","url":"\/18.2-32.3\/","token":"18.2\/4\/1\/18.2-32.3","metadata":false},"next_section":{"id":70125,"structure_id":15120,"section_number":"18.2-34","catch_line":"Reserved","url":"\/18.2-34\/","token":"18.2\/4\/1\/18.2-34","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/18.2-33\/","history_text":"

This law was first created in 1975. The record of its establishment is cataloged in chapters 14 and 15 of that year\u2019s edition of \u201cActs of Assembly,\u201d the annual state publication listing all changes made to the Code of Virginia in that year. Unfortunately, the 1975 \u201cActs\u201d aren\u2019t available online. It has been modified 1 time. 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. That modification is as follows: in 1999, chapter 282<\/a>.<\/p>","references":[{"id":66829,"section_number":"16.1-269.1","catch_line":"Trial in circuit court; preliminary hearing; direct indictment; remand","order_by":null,"url":"\/16.1-269.1\/"},{"id":80246,"section_number":"17.1-805","catch_line":"Adoption of initial discretionary sentencing guideline midpoints","order_by":null,"url":"\/17.1-805\/"},{"id":68291,"section_number":"18.2-513","catch_line":"Definitions","order_by":null,"url":"\/18.2-513\/"},{"id":61280,"section_number":"19.2-392.02","catch_line":"National criminal background checks by businesses and organizations regarding employees or volunteers providing care to children or the elderly or disabled","order_by":null,"url":"\/19.2-392.02\/"},{"id":63586,"section_number":"53.1-202.3","catch_line":"Rate at which sentence credits may be earned; prerequisites","order_by":null,"url":"\/53.1-202.3\/"},{"id":58640,"section_number":"53.1-40.02","catch_line":"Conditional release of terminally ill prisoners","order_by":null,"url":"\/53.1-40.02\/"}],"refers_to":[{"id":79946,"section_number":"18.2-31","catch_line":"Aggravated murder defined; punishment","order_by":null,"url":"\/18.2-31\/"},{"id":57602,"section_number":"18.2-32","catch_line":"First and second degree murder defined; punishment","order_by":null,"url":"\/18.2-32\/"}],"permalink":{"id":164791,"object_type":"law","relational_id":80906,"identifier":"18.2-33","token":"18.2\/4\/1\/18.2-33","url":"\/18.2-33\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/18.2-33\/","token":"18.2\/4\/1\/18.2-33","dublin_core":{"Title":"Felony homicide defined; punishment","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 18.2-33","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

The killing of one accidentally, contrary to the intention of the parties, while in the prosecution<\/span> of some felonious act other than those specified in \u00a7\u00a7 18.2-31<\/a> and 18.2-32<\/a>, is murder<\/span> of the second degree and is punishable by confinement in a state correctional facility for not less than five years nor more than forty years.<\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nFELONY HOMICIDE DEFINED; PUNISHMENT (\u00a7 18.2-33)\n\nThe killing of one accidentally, contrary to the intention of the parties, while\nin the prosecution of some felonious act other than those specified in \u00a7\u00a7\n18.2-31 and 18.2-32, is murder of the second degree and is punishable by\nconfinement in a state correctional facility for not less than five years nor\nmore than forty years.\n\nHISTORY: 1975, cc. 14, 15; 1999, c. 282.","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}}