2025 SESSION
INTRODUCED
25104292D
SENATE BILL NO. 952
Offered January 8, 2025
Prefiled January 6, 2025
A BILL to amend and reenact 18.2-460 of the Code of Virginia, relating to fleeing from a law-enforcement officer; penalty.
PatronDeSteph
Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:
1. That 18.2-460 of the Code of Virginia is amended and reenacted as follows:
18.2-460. Obstructing justice; resisting arrest; fleeing from a law-enforcement officer; penalties.
A. If any person without just cause knowingly obstructs a judge, magistrate, justice, juror, attorney for the Commonwealth, witness, any law-enforcement officer, or animal control officer employed pursuant to 3.2-6555 in the performance of his duties as such or fails or refuses without just cause to cease such obstruction when requested to do so by such judge, magistrate, justice, juror, attorney for the Commonwealth, witness, law-enforcement officer, or animal control officer employed pursuant to 3.2-6555, he is guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor.
B. Except as provided in subsection C, any person who, by threats or force, knowingly attempts to intimidate or impede a judge, magistrate, justice, juror, attorney for the Commonwealth, witness, any law-enforcement officer, or an animal control officer employed pursuant to 3.2-6555 lawfully engaged in his duties as such, or to obstruct or impede the administration of justice in any court, is guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor.
C. If any person by threats of bodily harm or force knowingly attempts to intimidate or impede a judge, magistrate, justice, juror, attorney for the Commonwealth, witness, any law-enforcement officer, lawfully engaged in the discharge of his duty, or to obstruct or impede the administration of justice in any court relating to a violation of or conspiracy to violate 18.2-248 or subdivision (a)(3), (b) or (c) of 18.2-248.1, or 18.2-46.2 or 18.2-46.3, or relating to the violation of or conspiracy to violate any violent felony offense listed in subsection C of 17.1-805, he is guilty of a Class 5 felony.
D. Any person who knowingly and willfully makes any materially false statement or representation to a law-enforcement officer or an animal control officer employed pursuant to 3.2-6555 who is in the course of conducting an investigation of a crime by another is guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor.
E. Any person who intentionally prevents or attempts to prevent a law-enforcement officer from lawfully arresting him, with or without a warrant, is guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor. For purposes of this subsection, intentionally preventing or attempting to prevent a lawful arrest means fleeing from a law-enforcement officer when the officer has the legal authority to place the person under arrest for an offense for which he may receive a jail or prison sentence and (i) the officer applies physical force to the person, or (ii) the officer communicates to the person that he is under arrest and when (a) the officer has the legal authority and the immediate physical ability to place is within 30 feet of the person under arrest, and (b) a reasonable the person who receives such communication knows or should has reason to know that the officer is a law-enforcement officer as defined in subsection G of 18.2-57 and that he is not free to leave.