{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-json\/18.2-32.2.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-text\/18.2-32.2.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-xml\/18.2-32.2.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-html\/18.2-32.2.html"}],"law_id":350742,"edition_id":2,"section_id":350742,"structure_id":50172,"section_number":"18.2-32.2","catch_line":"Killing a fetus; penalty","history":"2004, cc. 1023, 1026.","full_text":"A\n\nAny person who unlawfully, willfully, deliberately, maliciously and with premeditation kills the fetus of another is guilty of a Class 2 felony.\n\nB\n\nAny person who unlawfully, willfully, deliberately and maliciously kills the fetus of another is guilty of a felony punishable by confinement in a state correctional facility for not less than five nor more than 40 years.\n\n","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":1306649,"text":"Any person who unlawfully, willfully, deliberately, maliciously and with premeditation kills the fetus of another is guilty of a Class 2 felony.","type":"section","prefixes":["A"],"prefix":"A","entire_prefix":"A","prefix_anchor":"A","level":1,"next_prefix":"B"},"1":{"id":1306650,"text":"Any person who unlawfully, willfully, deliberately and maliciously kills the fetus of another is guilty of a felony punishable by confinement in a state correctional facility for not less than five nor more than 40 years.","type":"section","prefixes":["B"],"prefix":"B","entire_prefix":"B","prefix_anchor":"B","level":1,"prior_prefix":"A"}},"ancestry":[{"id":50172,"edition_id":2,"name":"Homicide","identifier":"1","label":"article","depth":3,"order_by":1,"parent_id":50171,"metadata":{"child_laws":15,"child_structures":0},"date_created":"2026-08-02 02:23:51","date_modified":"2026-08-02 12:30:16","permalink":{"id":1391767,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":50172,"identifier":"1","token":"18.2\/4\/1","url":"\/18.2\/4\/1\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":50171,"edition_id":2,"name":"Crimes Against the Person","identifier":"4","label":"chapter","depth":2,"order_by":4,"parent_id":50131,"metadata":{"child_laws":128,"child_structures":11},"date_created":"2026-08-02 02:23:51","date_modified":"2026-08-02 12:30:16","permalink":{"id":1391765,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":50171,"identifier":"4","token":"18.2\/4","url":"\/18.2\/4\/","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":350675,"structure_id":50172,"section_number":"18.2-30","catch_line":"Murder and manslaughter declared felonies","url":"\/18.2-30\/","token":"18.2\/4\/1\/18.2-30","metadata":false},{"id":350726,"structure_id":50172,"section_number":"18.2-31","catch_line":"Aggravated murder defined; punishment","url":"\/18.2-31\/","token":"18.2\/4\/1\/18.2-31","metadata":false},{"id":350744,"structure_id":50172,"section_number":"18.2-32","catch_line":"First and second degree murder defined; punishment","url":"\/18.2-32\/","token":"18.2\/4\/1\/18.2-32","metadata":false},{"id":350741,"structure_id":50172,"section_number":"18.2-32.1","catch_line":"Murder of a pregnant woman; penalty","url":"\/18.2-32.1\/","token":"18.2\/4\/1\/18.2-32.1","metadata":false},{"id":350742,"structure_id":50172,"section_number":"18.2-32.2","catch_line":"Killing a fetus; penalty","url":"\/18.2-32.2\/","token":"18.2\/4\/1\/18.2-32.2","metadata":false},{"id":350743,"structure_id":50172,"section_number":"18.2-32.3","catch_line":"Human infant; independent and separate existence","url":"\/18.2-32.3\/","token":"18.2\/4\/1\/18.2-32.3","metadata":false},{"id":350762,"structure_id":50172,"section_number":"18.2-33","catch_line":"Felony homicide defined; punishment","url":"\/18.2-33\/","token":"18.2\/4\/1\/18.2-33","metadata":false},{"id":350780,"structure_id":50172,"section_number":"18.2-34","catch_line":"Reserved","url":"\/18.2-34\/","token":"18.2\/4\/1\/18.2-34","metadata":false},{"id":350831,"structure_id":50172,"section_number":"18.2-35","catch_line":"How voluntary manslaughter punished","url":"\/18.2-35\/","token":"18.2\/4\/1\/18.2-35","metadata":false},{"id":350845,"structure_id":50172,"section_number":"18.2-36","catch_line":"How involuntary manslaughter punished","url":"\/18.2-36\/","token":"18.2\/4\/1\/18.2-36","metadata":false},{"id":350842,"structure_id":50172,"section_number":"18.2-36.1","catch_line":"Certain conduct punishable as involuntary manslaughter","url":"\/18.2-36.1\/","token":"18.2\/4\/1\/18.2-36.1","metadata":false},{"id":350843,"structure_id":50172,"section_number":"18.2-36.2","catch_line":"Involuntary manslaughter; operating a watercraft while under the influence; penalties","url":"\/18.2-36.2\/","token":"18.2\/4\/1\/18.2-36.2","metadata":false},{"id":350844,"structure_id":50172,"section_number":"18.2-36.3","catch_line":"Involuntary manslaughter; certain drug offenses","url":"\/18.2-36.3\/","token":"18.2\/4\/1\/18.2-36.3","metadata":false},{"id":350859,"structure_id":50172,"section_number":"18.2-37","catch_line":"How and where homicide prosecuted and punished if death occur without the Commonwealth","url":"\/18.2-37\/","token":"18.2\/4\/1\/18.2-37","metadata":{"court_decisions":""}},{"id":350858,"structure_id":50172,"section_number":"18.2-37.1","catch_line":"Certain matters not to constitute defenses","url":"\/18.2-37.1\/","token":"18.2\/4\/1\/18.2-37.1","metadata":false}],"previous_section":{"id":350741,"structure_id":50172,"section_number":"18.2-32.1","catch_line":"Murder of a pregnant woman; penalty","url":"\/18.2-32.1\/","token":"18.2\/4\/1\/18.2-32.1","metadata":false},"next_section":{"id":350743,"structure_id":50172,"section_number":"18.2-32.3","catch_line":"Human infant; independent and separate existence","url":"\/18.2-32.3\/","token":"18.2\/4\/1\/18.2-32.3","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/18.2-32.2\/","history_text":"<p>This law was first created in 2004. The record of its establishment is cataloged in chapters <a href=\"https:\/\/legacylis.virginia.gov\/cgi-bin\/legp604.exe?041+ful+CHAP1023\">1023<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/legacylis.virginia.gov\/cgi-bin\/legp604.exe?041+ful+CHAP1026\">1026<\/a> of that year\u2019s edition of \u201cActs of Assembly,\u201d the annual state publication listing all changes made to the Code of Virginia in that year.<\/p>","references":[{"id":350225,"section_number":"17.1-805","catch_line":"Adoption of initial discretionary sentencing guideline midpoints","order_by":null,"url":"\/17.1-805\/"},{"id":351833,"section_number":"19.2-392.02","catch_line":"National criminal background checks by businesses and organizations regarding employees or volunteers providing care to children or the elderly or disabled","order_by":null,"url":"\/19.2-392.02\/"},{"id":367665,"section_number":"53.1-202.3","catch_line":"Rate at which sentence credits may be earned; prerequisites","order_by":null,"url":"\/53.1-202.3\/"},{"id":367750,"section_number":"53.1-40.02","catch_line":"Conditional release of terminally ill prisoners","order_by":null,"url":"\/53.1-40.02\/"}],"refers_to":false,"permalink":{"id":1391785,"object_type":"law","relational_id":350742,"identifier":"18.2-32.2","token":"18.2\/4\/1\/18.2-32.2","url":"\/18.2-32.2\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/18.2-32.2\/","token":"18.2\/4\/1\/18.2-32.2","dublin_core":{"Title":"Killing a fetus; penalty","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 18.2-32.2","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<section id=\"A\"><p><span class=\"prefix-number\">A.<\/span> Any person who unlawfully, willfully, deliberately, maliciously and with premeditation kills the fetus of another is guilty of a Class 2 <span class=\"dictionary\">felony<\/span>. <a id=\"paragraph-1306649\" class=\"section-permalink\" href=\"https:\/\/vacode.org\/18.2-32.2\/#A\"><i class=\"fa fa-link\"><\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<section id=\"B\"><p><span class=\"prefix-number\">B.<\/span> Any person who unlawfully, willfully, deliberately and maliciously kills the fetus of another is guilty of a <span class=\"dictionary\">felony<\/span> punishable by confinement in a state correctional facility for not less than five nor more than 40 years. <a id=\"paragraph-1306650\" class=\"section-permalink\" href=\"https:\/\/vacode.org\/18.2-32.2\/#B\"><i class=\"fa fa-link\"><\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>","plain_text":"                                 CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nKILLING A FETUS; PENALTY (\u00a7 18.2-32.2)\n\nA. Any person who unlawfully, willfully, deliberately, maliciously and with\npremeditation kills the fetus of another is guilty of a Class 2 felony.\n\nB. Any person who unlawfully, willfully, deliberately and maliciously kills the\nfetus of another is guilty of a felony punishable by confinement in a state\ncorrectional facility for not less than five nor more than 40 years.\n\nHISTORY: 2004, cc. 1023, 1026.","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"}}