§ 1362. — Communication lines, stations or systems.
[Laws in effect as of January 24, 2002]
[Document not affected by Public Laws enacted between
January 24, 2002 and December 19, 2002]
[CITE: 18USC1362]
TITLE 18--CRIMES AND CRIMINAL PROCEDURE
PART I--CRIMES
CHAPTER 65--MALICIOUS MISCHIEF
Sec. 1362. Communication lines, stations or systems
Whoever willfully or maliciously injures or destroys any of the
works, property, or material of any radio, telegraph, telephone or
cable, line, station, or system, or other means of communication,
operated or controlled by the United States, or used or intended to be
used for military or civil defense functions of the United States,
whether constructed or in process of construction, or willfully or
maliciously interferes in any way with the working or use of any such
line, or system, or willfully or maliciously obstructs, hinders, or
delays the transmission of any communication over any such line, or
system, or attempts or conspires to do such an act, shall be fined under
this title or imprisoned not more than ten years, or both.
In the case of any works, property, or material, not operated or
controlled by the United States, this section shall not apply to any
lawful strike activity, or other lawful concerted activities for the
purposes of collective bargaining or other mutual aid and protection
which do not injure or destroy any line or system used or intended to be
used for the military or civil defense functions of the United States.
(June 25, 1948, ch. 645, 62 Stat. 764; Pub. L. 87-306, Sept. 26, 1961,
75 Stat. 669; Pub. L. 103-322, title XXXII, Sec. 320903(d)(2), title
XXXIII, Sec. 330016(1)(L), Sept. 13, 1994, 108 Stat. 2125, 2147; Pub. L.
107-56, title VIII, Sec. 811(c), Oct. 26, 2001, 115 Stat. 381.)
Historical and Revision Notes
Based on title 18, U.S.C., 1940 ed., Sec. 116 (Mar. 4, 1909, ch.
321, Sec. 60, 35 Stat. 1099).
This section was extended to include radio and radio stations. Minor
changes were made in phraseology.
Amendments
2001--Pub. L. 107-56, in first par., struck out ``or attempts
willfully or maliciously to injure or destroy'' after ``Whoever
willfully or maliciously injures or destroys'' and inserted ``or
attempts or conspires to do such an act,'' before ``shall be fined''.
1994--Pub. L. 103-322, in first par., inserted ``or attempts
willfully or maliciously to injure or destroy'' after ``willfully or
maliciously injures or destroys'' and substituted ``fined under this
title'' for ``fined not more than $10,000''.
1961--Pub. L. 87-306 extended the provisions of the section to means
of communication used or intended to be used for military or civil
defense functions of the United States, made the provisions inapplicable
to lawful strike activities, which do not injure any line or system used
for such functions, and increased the punishment by fine from $1,000 to
$10,000 and by imprisonment from 3 to 10 years.
Section Referred to in Other Sections
This section is referred to in sections 2332b, 2339A of this title.
