Desecration Defined & Punished

(a) A person commits a misdemeanor if he intentionally desecrates any public monument or structure, or place of worship or burial, or if he intentionally desecrates the national flag or any other object of veneration by the public or a substantial segment thereof in any public place. (b) As used in this Section, desecrate means defacing, damaging, polluting or otherwise physically mistreating in a way that the person knows will outrage the sensibilities of persons likely to observe or discover his action. SOURCE: G.P.C. §§ 310, 310a; cf. §§ 622, 622a; *M.P.C. § 250.9; Mass. ch. 269, § 9 N.J. § 2C:33-10. COMMENT: Section 61.45 expands upon Penal Code §§ 310 and 310a to provide for desecration not only of the flag but also of public monuments, places of worship and burial, and other object of veneration.