18.2-128 - Trespass upon church or school property.

§ 18.2-128. Trespass upon church or school property.

A. Any person who, without the consent of some person authorized to give suchconsent, goes or enters upon, in the nighttime, the premises or property ofany church or upon any school property for any purpose other than to attend ameeting or service held or conducted in such church or school property, shallbe guilty of a Class 3 misdemeanor.

B. It shall be unlawful for any person, whether or not a church member orstudent, to enter upon or remain upon any church or school property inviolation of (i) any direction to vacate the property by a person authorizedto give such direction or (ii) any posted notice which contains suchinformation, posted at a place where it reasonably may be seen. Each timesuch person enters upon or remains on the posted premises or after suchdirection that person refuses to vacate such property, it shall constitute aseparate offense.

A violation of this subsection shall be punishable as a Class 1 misdemeanor,except that any person, other than a parent, who violates this subsection onschool property with the intent to abduct a student shall be guilty of aClass 6 felony.

C. For purposes of this section: (i) "school property" includes a schoolbus as defined in § 46.2-100 and (ii) "church" means any place of worshipand includes any educational building or community center owned or leased bya church.

(Code 1950, § 18.1-182; 1960, c. 358; 1975, cc. 14, 15; 1988, c. 497; 1989,c. 680; 1993, c. 961; 1994, c. 326; 1995, cc. 493, 642; 1997, c. 779.)