Threatening to bomb burn or destroy
Threats to Bomb or Burn
Threatening to bomb burn or destroy is a person:
- Firstly, who makes and communicates to another by any means any threat to bomb, burn, destroy or in any manner damage any place of assembly, building or other structure, or any means of transportation.
- In addition, who communicates to another, by any means, information, knowing the same to be false, as to the existence of any peril of bombing, burning, destruction or damage to any such place of assembly, building or other structure, or any means of transportation, shall be guilty of a Class 5 felony; provided, however, that if such person be under fifteen years of age, he shall be guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor.
“In order to sustain a conviction under the statute, the communication must be taken in context. The communication must have been maliciously made, and must reasonably cause the receiver of the threat to believe that the speaker of the threat will act according to his expressed intent. Jones v.Commonwealth, No. 0977-98-3 (Va. Ct. of App., Feb. 23, 1999). Representation by a criminal defense lawyer is always recommended.
VIRGINIA CODE:
http://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/title18.2/chapter5/section18.2-83/
To summarize, anyone could find themselves facing criminal charges. In fact, a criminal charge can have lasting effects on the lives of those with such charges on their records. However, in order to effectively handle a serious legal situation, individuals often need to understand what they are facing. If you have a criminal law charges in Newport News, Hampton, Williamsburg, Yorktown or the rest of the Hampton Roads area, call the criminal defense attorneys at Goff Voltin, PLLC today.
