Virginia statute

Va. Code Ann. § 18.2-32 — First and second degree murder defined; punishment

Current through 2026 Regular Session

Part of Article 1: Homicide, Code of Virginia.

Criminal charges under this statute

First and second degree murder defined

Full text of Va. Code Ann. § 18.2-32

Statutory text current through the 2026 Regular Session. This publication reproduces the text of the Code of Virginia from the official Virginia Law Portal API published by the Virginia General Assembly's Division of Legislative Automated Systems; it is not the official Code of Virginia.

Va. Code Ann. § 18.2-32Primary source, current through the 2026 Regular Session

Murder, other than aggravated murder, by poison, lying in wait, imprisonment, starving, or by any willful, deliberate, and premeditated killing, or in the commission of, or attempt to commit, arson, rape, forcible sodomy, inanimate or animate object sexual penetration, robbery, burglary or abduction, except as provided in § 18.2-31 , is murder of the first degree, punishable as a Class 2 felony. All murder other than aggravated murder and murder in the first degree is murder of the second degree and is punishable by confinement in a state correctional facility for not less than five nor more than forty years.

Official sources

Official section text (law.lis.virginia.gov)

Legal terms used in this section

Questions this section answers

Is first and second degree murder defined a felony or a misdemeanor in Virginia?

First and second degree murder defined is a class 2 felony in Virginia under Va. Code Ann. § 18.2-32.

Which Virginia statute covers first and second degree murder defined?

First and second degree murder defined is governed by Va. Code Ann. § 18.2-32 (First and second degree murder defined; punishment).

This reference is informational and is not legal advice.