{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/18.2-438.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/18.2-438.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/18.2-438.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/18.2-438.html"}],"law_id":65705,"edition_id":1,"section_id":65705,"structure_id":13418,"section_number":"18.2-438","catch_line":"Bribes to officers or candidates for office","history":"Code 1950, \u00a7 18.1-278; 1960, c. 358; 1975, cc. 14, 15; 1978, c. 123.","full_text":"If any person corruptly give, offer or promise to any executive, legislative or judicial officer, sheriff or police officer, or to any candidate for such office, either before or after he shall have taken his seat, any gift or gratuity, with intent to influence his act, vote, opinion, decision or judgment on any matter, question, cause or proceeding, which is or may be then pending, or may by law come or be brought before him in his official capacity, he shall be guilty of a Class 4 felony and shall forfeit to the Commonwealth any such gift or gratuity given. This section shall also apply to a resident of this Commonwealth who, while temporarily absent therefrom for that purpose, shall make such gift, offer or promise.","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":238841,"text":"If any person corruptly give, offer or promise to any executive, legislative or judicial officer, sheriff or police officer, or to any candidate for such office, either before or after he shall have taken his seat, any gift or gratuity, with intent to influence his act, vote, opinion, decision or judgment on any matter, question, cause or proceeding, which is or may be then pending, or may by law come or be brought before him in his official capacity, he shall be guilty of a Class 4 felony and shall forfeit to the Commonwealth any such gift or gratuity given. This section shall also apply to a resident of this Commonwealth who, while temporarily absent therefrom for that purpose, shall make such gift, offer or promise.","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1}},"ancestry":[{"id":13418,"edition_id":1,"name":"Bribery and Related Offenses","identifier":"2","label":"article","depth":3,"order_by":1,"parent_id":13246,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:44:51","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:44:51","permalink":{"id":164241,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":13418,"identifier":"2","token":"18.2\/10\/2","url":"\/18.2\/10\/2\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":13246,"edition_id":1,"name":"Crimes Against the Administration of Justice","identifier":"10","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":164221,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":13246,"identifier":"10","token":"18.2\/10","url":"\/18.2\/10\/","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":65705,"structure_id":13418,"section_number":"18.2-438","catch_line":"Bribes to officers or candidates for office","url":"\/18.2-438\/","token":"18.2\/10\/2\/18.2-438","metadata":false},{"id":66963,"structure_id":13418,"section_number":"18.2-439","catch_line":"Acceptance of bribe by officer or candidate","url":"\/18.2-439\/","token":"18.2\/10\/2\/18.2-439","metadata":false},{"id":56565,"structure_id":13418,"section_number":"18.2-440","catch_line":"Bribes to officers to prevent service of process","url":"\/18.2-440\/","token":"18.2\/10\/2\/18.2-440","metadata":false},{"id":60870,"structure_id":13418,"section_number":"18.2-441","catch_line":"Giving bribes to, or receiving bribes by, commissioners, jurors, etc","url":"\/18.2-441\/","token":"18.2\/10\/2\/18.2-441","metadata":false},{"id":63688,"structure_id":13418,"section_number":"18.2-441.1","catch_line":"Bribery of witnesses","url":"\/18.2-441.1\/","token":"18.2\/10\/2\/18.2-441.1","metadata":false},{"id":73694,"structure_id":13418,"section_number":"18.2-442","catch_line":"Bribery of participants in games, contests or sports","url":"\/18.2-442\/","token":"18.2\/10\/2\/18.2-442","metadata":false},{"id":77399,"structure_id":13418,"section_number":"18.2-443","catch_line":"Solicitation or acceptance of bribes by participants or by managers, coaches or trainers","url":"\/18.2-443\/","token":"18.2\/10\/2\/18.2-443","metadata":false},{"id":69599,"structure_id":13418,"section_number":"18.2-444","catch_line":"Corruptly influencing, or being influenced as, agents, etc","url":"\/18.2-444\/","token":"18.2\/10\/2\/18.2-444","metadata":false},{"id":78704,"structure_id":13418,"section_number":"18.2-444.1","catch_line":"Reserved","url":"\/18.2-444.1\/","token":"18.2\/10\/2\/18.2-444.1","metadata":false},{"id":54388,"structure_id":13418,"section_number":"18.2-444.2","catch_line":"Giving or accepting a fee or gift for purposes of influencing decisions of financial institution","url":"\/18.2-444.2\/","token":"18.2\/10\/2\/18.2-444.2","metadata":false},{"id":54827,"structure_id":13418,"section_number":"18.2-445","catch_line":"Immunity of witnesses","url":"\/18.2-445\/","token":"18.2\/10\/2\/18.2-445","metadata":false}],"next_section":{"id":66963,"structure_id":13418,"section_number":"18.2-439","catch_line":"Acceptance of bribe by officer or candidate","url":"\/18.2-439\/","token":"18.2\/10\/2\/18.2-439","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/18.2-438\/","history_text":"<p>The record of this law\u2019s original creation isn\u2019t available online. It has been modified 3 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; in 1978, chapter 123.<\/p>","references":[{"id":66963,"section_number":"18.2-439","catch_line":"Acceptance of bribe by officer or candidate","order_by":null,"url":"\/18.2-439\/"},{"id":68291,"section_number":"18.2-513","catch_line":"Definitions","order_by":null,"url":"\/18.2-513\/"},{"id":77143,"section_number":"19.2-215.1","catch_line":"Functions of a multi-jurisdiction grand jury","order_by":null,"url":"\/19.2-215.1\/"},{"id":71618,"section_number":"2.2-3100","catch_line":"Policy; application; construction","order_by":null,"url":"\/2.2-3100\/"},{"id":77165,"section_number":"2.2-4367","catch_line":"Purpose","order_by":null,"url":"\/2.2-4367\/"},{"id":54935,"section_number":"30-100","catch_line":"Declaration of legislative policy; construction","order_by":null,"url":"\/30-100\/"}],"refers_to":false,"permalink":{"id":164243,"object_type":"law","relational_id":65705,"identifier":"18.2-438","token":"18.2\/10\/2\/18.2-438","url":"\/18.2-438\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/18.2-438\/","token":"18.2\/10\/2\/18.2-438","dublin_core":{"Title":"Bribes to officers or candidates for office","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 18.2-438","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<section><p>If any person corruptly give, offer or promise to any executive, legislative or judicial officer, sheriff or police officer, or to any candidate for such office, either before or after he shall have taken his seat, any gift or gratuity, with <span class=\"dictionary\">intent<\/span> to influence his act, vote, <span class=\"dictionary\">opinion<\/span>, decision or <span class=\"dictionary\">judgment<\/span> on any matter, question, cause or proceeding, which is or may be then pending, or may by <span class=\"dictionary\">law<\/span> come or be brought before him in his official capacity, he shall be guilty of a Class 4 <span class=\"dictionary\">felony<\/span> and shall forfeit to the Commonwealth any such gift or gratuity given. This section shall also apply to a resident of this Commonwealth who, while temporarily absent therefrom for that purpose, shall make such gift, offer or promise.<\/p><\/section>","plain_text":"                                 CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nBRIBES TO OFFICERS OR CANDIDATES FOR OFFICE (\u00a7 18.2-438)\n\nIf any person corruptly give, offer or promise to any executive, legislative or\njudicial officer, sheriff or police officer, or to any candidate for such\noffice, either before or after he shall have taken his seat, any gift or\ngratuity, with intent to influence his act, vote, opinion, decision or judgment\non any matter, question, cause or proceeding, which is or may be then pending,\nor may by law come or be brought before him in his official capacity, he shall\nbe guilty of a Class 4 felony and shall forfeit to the Commonwealth any such\ngift or gratuity given. This section shall also apply to a resident of this\nCommonwealth who, while temporarily absent therefrom for that purpose, shall\nmake such gift, offer or promise.\n\nHISTORY: Code 1950, \u00a7 18.1-278; 1960, c. 358; 1975, cc. 14, 15; 1978, c. 123.","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}}