Code of Virginia § 18.2-479. Escape without force or violence or setting fire to jail; penalties.
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/va/title-18-2/chapter-10/18-2-479A research copy — for the controlling text, always check the official state or federal source. Not legal advice.
A. Except as provided in subsection B, any person lawfully confined in jail or lawfully in the custody of any court, officer of the court, or law-enforcement officer, as defined in § 18.2-57 , for violation of his probation or parole or on a charge or conviction of a misdemeanor who escapes, other than by force or violence or by setting fire to the jail, is guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor.
B. Any person lawfully confined in jail or lawfully in the custody of any court, officer of the court, or law-enforcement officer, as defined in § 18.2-57 , on a charge or conviction of a felony who escapes, other than by force or violence or by setting fire to the jail, is guilty of a Class 6 felony.
Code 1950, § 18.1-290; 1960, c. 358; 1975, cc. 14, 15; 1985, c. 555; 2005, c. 573 ; 2025, cc. 38 , 41 .