                                 CODE OF VIRGINIA

BURNING OR DESTROYING DWELLING HOUSE, ETC (§ 18.2-77)

A. If any person maliciously (i) burns, or by use of any explosive device or
substance destroys, in whole or in part, or causes to be burned or destroyed, or
(ii) aids, counsels or procures the burning or destruction of any dwelling house
or manufactured home whether belonging to himself or another, or any occupied
hotel, hospital, mental health facility, or other house in which persons usually
dwell or lodge, any occupied railroad car, boat, vessel, or river craft in which
persons usually dwell or lodge, or any occupied jail or prison, or any occupied
church or occupied building owned or leased by a church that is immediately
adjacent to a church, he shall be guilty of a felony, punishable by imprisonment
for life or for any period not less than five years and, subject to subdivision
g of &#xA7; 18.2-10, a fine of not more than $100,000. Any person who
maliciously sets fire to anything, or aids, counsels or procures the setting
fire to anything, by the burning whereof such occupied dwelling house,
manufactured home, hotel, hospital, mental health facility or other house, or
railroad car, boat, vessel, or river craft, jail or prison, church or building
owned or leased by a church that is immediately adjacent to a church, is burned
shall be guilty of a violation of this subsection.

B. Any such burning or destruction when the building or other place mentioned in
subsection A is unoccupied, shall be punishable as a Class 4 felony.

C. For purposes of this section, &#8220;church&#8221; shall be defined as in
&#xA7; 18.2-127.

HISTORY: Code 1950, § 18.1-75; 1960, c. 358; 1975, cc. 14, 15; 1977, c. 63;
1978, c. 443; 1993, c. 406; 1997, c. 832.