{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/18.2-57.01.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/18.2-57.01.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/18.2-57.01.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/18.2-57.01.html"}],"law_id":58241,"edition_id":1,"section_id":58241,"structure_id":13717,"section_number":"18.2-57.01","catch_line":"Pointing laser at law-enforcement officer unlawful; penalty","history":"2000, c. 350.","full_text":"If any person, knowing or having reason to know another person is a law-enforcement officer as defined in \u00a7 18.2-57, a probation or parole officer appointed pursuant to \u00a7 53.1-143, a correctional officer as defined in \u00a7 53.1-1, or a person employed by the Department of Corrections directly involved in the care, treatment or supervision of inmates in the custody of the Department engaged in the performance of his public duties as such, intentionally projects at such other person a beam or a point of light from a laser, a laser gun sight, or any device that simulates a laser, shall be guilty of a Class 2 misdemeanor.","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":213425,"text":"If any person, knowing or having reason to know another person is a law-enforcement officer as defined in \u00a7 18.2-57, a probation or parole officer appointed pursuant to \u00a7 53.1-143, a correctional officer as defined in \u00a7 53.1-1, or a person employed by the Department of Corrections directly involved in the care, treatment or supervision of inmates in the custody of the Department engaged in the performance of his public duties as such, intentionally projects at such other person a beam or a point of light from a laser, a laser gun sight, or any device that simulates a laser, shall be guilty of a Class 2 misdemeanor.","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1}},"ancestry":[{"id":13717,"edition_id":1,"name":"Assaults and Bodily Woundings","identifier":"4","label":"article","depth":3,"order_by":1,"parent_id":13100,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:45:39","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:45:39","permalink":{"id":164963,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":13717,"identifier":"4","token":"18.2\/4\/4","url":"\/18.2\/4\/4\/","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":72243,"structure_id":13717,"section_number":"18.2-51","catch_line":"Shooting, stabbing, etc., with intent to maim, kill, etc","url":"\/18.2-51\/","token":"18.2\/4\/4\/18.2-51","metadata":false},{"id":72165,"structure_id":13717,"section_number":"18.2-51.1","catch_line":"Malicious bodily injury to law-enforcement officers, firefighters, search and rescue personnel, or emergency medical services personnel; penalty; lesser-included offense","url":"\/18.2-51.1\/","token":"18.2\/4\/4\/18.2-51.1","metadata":false},{"id":68812,"structure_id":13717,"section_number":"18.2-51.2","catch_line":"Aggravated malicious wounding; penalty","url":"\/18.2-51.2\/","token":"18.2\/4\/4\/18.2-51.2","metadata":false},{"id":78289,"structure_id":13717,"section_number":"18.2-51.3","catch_line":"Prohibition against reckless endangerment of others by throwing objects from places higher than one story; penalty","url":"\/18.2-51.3\/","token":"18.2\/4\/4\/18.2-51.3","metadata":false},{"id":54708,"structure_id":13717,"section_number":"18.2-51.4","catch_line":"Maiming, etc., of another resulting from driving while intoxicated","url":"\/18.2-51.4\/","token":"18.2\/4\/4\/18.2-51.4","metadata":false},{"id":71114,"structure_id":13717,"section_number":"18.2-51.5","catch_line":"Maiming, etc., of another resulting from operating a watercraft while intoxicated; penalty","url":"\/18.2-51.5\/","token":"18.2\/4\/4\/18.2-51.5","metadata":false},{"id":75920,"structure_id":13717,"section_number":"18.2-51.6","catch_line":"Strangulation or suffocation of another; 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penalty","url":"\/18.2-56.2\/","token":"18.2\/4\/4\/18.2-56.2","metadata":false},{"id":64628,"structure_id":13717,"section_number":"18.2-57","catch_line":"Assault and battery; penalty","url":"\/18.2-57\/","token":"18.2\/4\/4\/18.2-57","metadata":false},{"id":58241,"structure_id":13717,"section_number":"18.2-57.01","catch_line":"Pointing laser at law-enforcement officer unlawful; penalty","url":"\/18.2-57.01\/","token":"18.2\/4\/4\/18.2-57.01","metadata":false},{"id":67857,"structure_id":13717,"section_number":"18.2-57.02","catch_line":"Disarming a law-enforcement or correctional officer; penalty","url":"\/18.2-57.02\/","token":"18.2\/4\/4\/18.2-57.02","metadata":false},{"id":65560,"structure_id":13717,"section_number":"18.2-57.1","catch_line":"Repealed","url":"\/18.2-57.1\/","token":"18.2\/4\/4\/18.2-57.1","metadata":false},{"id":72208,"structure_id":13717,"section_number":"18.2-57.2","catch_line":"Assault and battery against a family or household member; penalty","url":"\/18.2-57.2\/","token":"18.2\/4\/4\/18.2-57.2","metadata":false},{"id":59318,"structure_id":13717,"section_number":"18.2-57.3","catch_line":"Persons charged with first offense of assault and battery against a family or household member may be placed on local community-based probation; conditions; education and treatment programs; costs and fees; violations; discharge","url":"\/18.2-57.3\/","token":"18.2\/4\/4\/18.2-57.3","metadata":false},{"id":66795,"structure_id":13717,"section_number":"18.2-57.4","catch_line":"Reporting findings of assault and battery to military family advocacy representatives","url":"\/18.2-57.4\/","token":"18.2\/4\/4\/18.2-57.4","metadata":false},{"id":70823,"structure_id":13717,"section_number":"18.2-57.5","catch_line":"Certain matters not to constitute defenses","url":"\/18.2-57.5\/","token":"18.2\/4\/4\/18.2-57.5","metadata":false}],"previous_section":{"id":64628,"structure_id":13717,"section_number":"18.2-57","catch_line":"Assault and battery; penalty","url":"\/18.2-57\/","token":"18.2\/4\/4\/18.2-57","metadata":false},"next_section":{"id":67857,"structure_id":13717,"section_number":"18.2-57.02","catch_line":"Disarming a law-enforcement or correctional officer; penalty","url":"\/18.2-57.02\/","token":"18.2\/4\/4\/18.2-57.02","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/18.2-57.01\/","history_text":"<p>This law was first created in 2000. The record of its establishment is cataloged in chapter <a href=\"https:\/\/legacylis.virginia.gov\/cgi-bin\/legp604.exe?001+ful+CHAP0350\">350<\/a> 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.<\/p>","references":[{"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\/"}],"refers_to":[{"id":64628,"section_number":"18.2-57","catch_line":"Assault and battery; penalty","order_by":null,"url":"\/18.2-57\/"},{"id":85635,"section_number":"53.1-1","catch_line":"Definitions","order_by":null,"url":"\/53.1-1\/"},{"id":85066,"section_number":"53.1-143","catch_line":"How officers authorized","order_by":null,"url":"\/53.1-143\/"}],"permalink":{"id":165053,"object_type":"law","relational_id":58241,"identifier":"18.2-57.01","token":"18.2\/4\/4\/18.2-57.01","url":"\/18.2-57.01\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/18.2-57.01\/","token":"18.2\/4\/4\/18.2-57.01","dublin_core":{"Title":"Pointing laser at law-enforcement officer unlawful; penalty","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 18.2-57.01","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<section><p>If any person, knowing or having reason to know another person is a <span class=\"dictionary\">law<\/span>-enforcement officer as defined in \u00a7&nbsp;<a class=\"law\" title=\"Assault and battery; penalty\" href=\"\/18.2-57\/\">18.2-57<\/a>, a <span class=\"dictionary\">probation<\/span> or <span class=\"dictionary\">parole<\/span> officer appointed pursuant to \u00a7&nbsp;<a class=\"law\" title=\"How officers authorized\" href=\"\/53.1-143\/\">53.1-143<\/a>, a correctional officer as defined in \u00a7&nbsp;<a class=\"law\" title=\"Definitions\" href=\"\/53.1-1\/\">53.1-1<\/a>, or a person employed by the Department of Corrections directly involved in the care, treatment or supervision of inmates in the <span class=\"dictionary\">custody<\/span> of the Department engaged in the performance of his public duties as such, intentionally projects at such other person a beam or a point of light from a laser, a laser gun sight, or any device that simulates a laser, shall be guilty of a Class 2 <span class=\"dictionary\">misdemeanor<\/span>.<\/p><\/section>","plain_text":"                                 CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nPOINTING LASER AT LAW-ENFORCEMENT OFFICER UNLAWFUL; PENALTY (\u00a7 18.2-57.01)\n\nIf any person, knowing or having reason to know another person is a\nlaw-enforcement officer as defined in \u00a7 18.2-57, a probation or parole officer\nappointed pursuant to \u00a7 53.1-143, a correctional officer as defined in \u00a7\n53.1-1, or a person employed by the Department of Corrections directly involved\nin the care, treatment or supervision of inmates in the custody of the\nDepartment engaged in the performance of his public duties as such,\nintentionally projects at such other person a beam or a point of light from a\nlaser, a laser gun sight, or any device that simulates a laser, shall be guilty\nof a Class 2 misdemeanor.\n\nHISTORY: 2000, c. 350.","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}}