18.2-460 - Obstructing justice; penalty.
§ 18.2-460. Obstructing justice; penalty.
A. If any person without just cause knowingly obstructs a judge, magistrate,justice, juror, attorney for the Commonwealth, witness, any law-enforcementofficer, or animal control officer employed pursuant to § 3.2-6555 in theperformance of his duties as such or fails or refuses without just cause tocease such obstruction when requested to do so by such judge, magistrate,justice, juror, attorney for the Commonwealth, witness, law-enforcementofficer, or animal control officer employed pursuant to § 3.2-6555, he shallbe 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 engagedin his duties as such, or to obstruct or impede the administration of justicein any court, is guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor.
C. If any person by threats of bodily harm or force knowingly attempts tointimidate or impede a judge, magistrate, justice, juror, attorney for theCommonwealth, witness, any law-enforcement officer, lawfully engaged in thedischarge of his duty, or to obstruct or impede the administration of justicein any court relating to a violation of or conspiracy to violate § 18.2-248or 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 anyviolent felony offense listed in subsection C of § 17.1-805, he shall beguilty of a Class 5 felony.
D. Any person who knowingly and willfully makes any materially falsestatement or representation to a law-enforcement officer or an animal controlofficer employed pursuant to § 3.2-6555 who is in the course of conducting aninvestigation of a crime by another is guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor.
(Code 1950, § 18.1-310; 1960, c. 358; 1975, cc. 14, 15; 1976, c. 269; 1984,c. 571; 1989, c. 506; 1993, c. 747; 1996, c. 718; 1999, cc. 770, 800; 2002,cc. 527, 810, 818; 2003, cc. 111, 149; 2004, cc. 396, 435; 2007, cc. 220,282; 2009, c. 242.)