{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-json\/18.2-143.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-text\/18.2-143.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-xml\/18.2-143.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-html\/18.2-143.html"}],"law_id":350320,"edition_id":2,"section_id":350320,"structure_id":50139,"section_number":"18.2-143","catch_line":"Pulling down fences or leaving open gates","history":"Code 1950, \u00a7 18.1-176; 1960, c. 358; 1975, cc. 14, 15.","full_text":"If any person, without permission of the owner, pull down the fence of another and leave the same down, or, without permission, open and leave open the gate of another, or any gate across a public road established by order of court, or if any person other than the owner or owners of the lands through which a line of railroad runs open and leave open a gate at any public or private crossing of the right-of-way of a railroad, he shall be guilty of a Class 4 misdemeanor.\n\n","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":1305298,"text":"If any person, without permission of the owner, pull down the fence of another and leave the same down, or, without permission, open and leave open the gate of another, or any gate across a public road established by order of court, or if any person other than the owner or owners of the lands through which a line of railroad runs open and leave open a gate at any public or private crossing of the right-of-way of a railroad, he shall be guilty of a Class 4 misdemeanor.","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1}},"ancestry":[{"id":50139,"edition_id":2,"name":"Damage to Realty and Personalty Thereon","identifier":"6","label":"article","depth":3,"order_by":5,"parent_id":50135,"metadata":{"child_laws":8,"child_structures":0},"date_created":"2026-08-02 02:23:07","date_modified":"2026-08-02 12:30:18","permalink":{"id":1392657,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":50139,"identifier":"6","token":"18.2\/5\/6","url":"\/18.2\/5\/6\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":50135,"edition_id":2,"name":"Crimes Against Property","identifier":"5","label":"chapter","depth":2,"order_by":5,"parent_id":50131,"metadata":{"child_laws":153,"child_structures":10},"date_created":"2026-08-02 02:22:59","date_modified":"2026-08-02 12:30:17","permalink":{"id":1392301,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":50135,"identifier":"5","token":"18.2\/5","url":"\/18.2\/5\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":50131,"edition_id":2,"name":"Crimes and Offenses Generally","identifier":"18.2","label":"title","depth":1,"order_by":52,"parent_id":null,"metadata":{"child_laws":960,"child_structures":94},"date_created":"2026-08-02 02:22:59","date_modified":"2026-08-02 12:30:15","permalink":{"id":1391141,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":50131,"identifier":"18.2","token":"18.2","url":"\/18.2\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}}],"structure_contents":[{"id":350312,"structure_id":50139,"section_number":"18.2-137","catch_line":"Injuring, etc., any property, monument, etc","url":"\/18.2-137\/","token":"18.2\/5\/6\/18.2-137","metadata":false},{"id":350314,"structure_id":50139,"section_number":"18.2-138","catch_line":"Damaging public buildings, etc.; penalty","url":"\/18.2-138\/","token":"18.2\/5\/6\/18.2-138","metadata":{"court_decisions":{"0":{"name":"Powell v. Commonwealth","case_number":"3042992","citation":"548 S.E.2d 926","date":"2001-07-17","url":"https:\/\/www.courtlistener.com\/opinion\/1064987\/powell-v-commonwealth\/","abstract":" .\u202f.\u202f. HUMPHREYS, Judge, concurring. .\u202f.\u202f. ","court_html":"<abbr title=\"Court of Appeals\">COA<\/abbr>"},"1":{"name":"Powell v. Commonwealth","case_number":"Record 3042-99-1","citation":"537 S.E.2d 602","date":"2000-11-28","url":"https:\/\/www.courtlistener.com\/opinion\/1396233\/powell-v-commonwealth\/","abstract":" .\u202f.\u202f. 537 S.E.2d 602 (2000) .\u202f.\u202f. ","court_html":"<abbr title=\"Court of Appeals\">COA<\/abbr>"},"2":{"name":"United States v. McCloud","case_number":"101CR00014","citation":"158 F. Supp. 2d 744","date":"2001-09-17","url":"https:\/\/www.courtlistener.com\/opinion\/2415189\/united-states-v-mccloud\/","abstract":" .\u202f.\u202f. 158 F.Supp.2d 744 (2001) .\u202f.\u202f. ","court_html":"District Court, W.D. Virginia"},"3":{"name":"Phillips v. Commonwealth","case_number":"0482091","citation":"694 S.E.2d 805","date":"2010-07-13","url":"https:\/\/www.courtlistener.com\/opinion\/1062155\/phillips-v-commonwealth\/","abstract":" .\u202f.\u202f. POWELL, Judge. .\u202f.\u202f. ","court_html":"<abbr title=\"Court of Appeals\">COA<\/abbr>"}}}},{"id":350313,"structure_id":50139,"section_number":"18.2-138.1","catch_line":"Repealed","url":"\/18.2-138.1\/","token":"18.2\/5\/6\/18.2-138.1","metadata":false},{"id":350315,"structure_id":50139,"section_number":"18.2-139","catch_line":"Injuries to trees, fences or herbage on grounds of Capitol, or in any public square","url":"\/18.2-139\/","token":"18.2\/5\/6\/18.2-139","metadata":false},{"id":350317,"structure_id":50139,"section_number":"18.2-140","catch_line":"Destruction of trees, shrubs, etc","url":"\/18.2-140\/","token":"18.2\/5\/6\/18.2-140","metadata":false},{"id":350318,"structure_id":50139,"section_number":"18.2-141","catch_line":"Cutting or destroying trees; carrying axe, saw, etc., while hunting","url":"\/18.2-141\/","token":"18.2\/5\/6\/18.2-141","metadata":false},{"id":350319,"structure_id":50139,"section_number":"18.2-142","catch_line":"Repealed","url":"\/18.2-142\/","token":"18.2\/5\/6\/18.2-142","metadata":false},{"id":350320,"structure_id":50139,"section_number":"18.2-143","catch_line":"Pulling down fences or leaving open gates","url":"\/18.2-143\/","token":"18.2\/5\/6\/18.2-143","metadata":false}],"previous_section":{"id":350319,"structure_id":50139,"section_number":"18.2-142","catch_line":"Repealed","url":"\/18.2-142\/","token":"18.2\/5\/6\/18.2-142","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/18.2-143\/","history_text":"<p>The record of this law\u2019s original creation isn\u2019t available online. It has been modified 2 times. Those modifications are cataloged by \u201cThe Acts of Assembly,\u201d a state publication, by year and chapter. Those modifications that can be read on the General Assembly\u2019s website will be linked accordingly. Those modifications are as follows: in 1960, chapter 358; in 1975, chapters 14 and 15.<\/p>","references":false,"refers_to":false,"permalink":{"id":1392687,"object_type":"law","relational_id":350320,"identifier":"18.2-143","token":"18.2\/5\/6\/18.2-143","url":"\/18.2-143\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/18.2-143\/","token":"18.2\/5\/6\/18.2-143","dublin_core":{"Title":"Pulling down fences or leaving open gates","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 18.2-143","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<section><p>If any person, without permission of the owner, pull down the fence of another and leave the same down, or, without permission, open and leave open the gate of another, or any gate across a public road established by <span class=\"dictionary\">order<\/span> of <span class=\"dictionary\">court<\/span>, or if any person other than the owner or owners of the lands through which a line of railroad runs open and leave open a gate at any public or private crossing of the right-of-way of a railroad, he shall be guilty of a Class 4 <span class=\"dictionary\">misdemeanor<\/span>.<\/p><\/section>","plain_text":"                                 CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nPULLING DOWN FENCES OR LEAVING OPEN GATES (\u00a7 18.2-143)\n\nIf any person, without permission of the owner, pull down the fence of another\nand leave the same down, or, without permission, open and leave open the gate of\nanother, or any gate across a public road established by order of court, or if\nany person other than the owner or owners of the lands through which a line of\nrailroad runs open and leave open a gate at any public or private crossing of\nthe right-of-way of a railroad, he shall be guilty of a Class 4 misdemeanor.\n\nHISTORY: Code 1950, \u00a7 18.1-176; 1960, c. 358; 1975, cc. 14, 15.","edition":{"id":2,"name":"2026","slug":"2026","date_created":"2026-07-16 18:40:23","date_modified":"2026-08-02 15:14:36","current":1,"order_by":2,"last_import":"2026-08-02 12:37:30"}}