Pen. Code, § 594.4 · Title 14. MALICIOUS MISCHIEF
Pen. Code, § 594.4
Text — As published in the Legislative Counsel's database, tables dated October 18, 2026 (pubinfo_2025.zip)
(a) Any person who willfully and maliciously injects into or throws upon, or otherwise defaces, damages, destroys, or contaminates, any structure with butyric acid, or any other similar noxious or caustic chemical or substance, is guilty of a public offense, punishable by imprisonment pursuant to subdivision (h) of Section 1170 or in a county jail not exceeding 6 months, by a fine as specified in subdivision (b), or by both that imprisonment and fine.
(b) (1) If the amount of the defacement, damage, destruction, or contamination is fifty thousand dollars ($50,000) or more, by a fine of not more than fifty thousand dollars ($50,000).
(2) If the amount of the defacement, damage, destruction, or contamination is five thousand dollars ($5,000) or more, but less than fifty thousand dollars ($50,000), by a fine of not more than ten thousand dollars ($10,000).
(3) If the amount of defacement, damage, destruction, or contamination is nine hundred fifty dollars ($950) or more, but less than five thousand dollars ($5,000), by a fine of not more than five thousand dollars ($5,000).
(4) If the amount of the defacement, damage, destruction, or contamination is less than nine hundred fifty dollars ($950), by a fine of not more than one thousand dollars ($1,000).
(c) For purposes of this section, “structure” includes any house or other building being used at the time of the offense for a dwelling or for commercial purposes.
Notes and commentary — not statutory text
History
Amended by Stats. 2011, Ch. 15, Sec. 409. (AB 109) Effective April 4, 2011. Operative October 1, 2011, by Sec. 636 of Ch. 15, as amended by Stats. 2011, Ch. 39, Sec. 68.
Source of truth
- Edition
- As published in the Legislative Counsel's database, tables dated October 18, 2026 (pubinfo_2025.zip)
- Official file
- https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=PEN§ionNum=594.4.
- Text hash
- sha256 0af14a38a2ddc1b7abe7cdce595fa71f3ed2c0102c77106d13b56e0511154de7
- Composed by
- compose_ca.py 2026-10-22: the Legislative Counsel's CAML content files read by a tokenizer (caml_readers.reader_a); an independent xml.etree reading (caml_readers.reader_b) agrees on every section
This section cites
Provisions in this library that the text above cites, as it prints each citation. A range cited as “ss. 61.13-61.16” links its first and last provisions.
Penal Code
Cited by 9 provisions
Provisions in this library whose text cites Pen. Code, § 594.4. Each shows the citation as that text prints it.
Penal Code
- Pen. Code, § 594Printed as Section 594, 594.3, 594.4, 640.5, 640.6, or 640.7
- Pen. Code, § 594.6Printed as Section 594, 594.3, 594.4, or 640.7
- Pen. Code, § 640.5Printed as Section 594, 594.3, 594.4, 640.6, or 640.7
- Pen. Code, § 640.6Printed as Section 594, 594.3, 594.4, 640.5, or 640.7
- Pen. Code, § 1202.4Printed as Section 594, 594.3, 594.4, 640.5, 640.6, or 640.7
Welfare and Institutions Code
- Welf. & Inst. Code, § 730.6Printed as Section 594, 594.3, 594.4, 640.5, 640.6, or 640.7 of the Penal Code
- Welf. & Inst. Code, § 742.14Printed as Section 594, 594.3, 594.4, 640.5, 640.6, or 640.7 of the Penal Code
- Welf. & Inst. Code, § 742.16Printed as Section 594, 594.3, 594.4, 640.5, 640.6, or 640.7 of the Penal Code
- Welf. & Inst. Code, § 742.18Printed as Section 594, 594.3, 594.4, 640.5, 640.6, or 640.7 of the Penal Code
Procedural information only. Not legal advice and not a substitute for the advice of an attorney. Confirm the current text with the official publisher before relying on it.