Desecration of graves.
New Orleans City Code § 54-377
in effectSec. 54-377. - Desecration of graves.
(a) It is unlawful for any person to commit the crime of desecration of graves.
(b) Desecration of graves is the:
(1) Unauthorized opening of any place of interment, or building wherein the dead body or remains of a human being is located, with the intent to remove or mutilate the body or any part thereof or any article interred or intended to be interred with such body; or
(2) Intentional or criminally negligent damaging in any manner of any grave, tomb or mausoleum erected for the dead; or
(3) The theft, misappropriation, taking, of any artifact or other object from any grave, tomb, mausoleum or other place of interment, either without the consent of the owner, or by means of fraudulent conduct, practices, or representations;
(4) Being in illegal possession of any artifact or other object from any grave, tomb, mausoleum or other place of interment. Illegal possession for the purposes of this section is the intentional possessing, procuring, receiving, or concealing of any artifact or other object from any grave, tomb, mausoleum or other place of interment, which has been the subject of any robbery, theft, misappropriation, or taking either without the consent of the owner or by means of fraudulent conduct, practices or representations, under circumstances which indicate that the offender knew or should have known that the thing was the subject of one of these offenses.
(5) Encouraging, urging, inciting, or persuading another to take or misappropriate any artifact or other object from any grave, tomb, mausoleum or other place of interment, either without the consent of the owner, or by means of fraudulent conduct, practices, or representations.
(c) Penalties. Whoever commits the crime of desecration of graves shall be fined not less than $300.00 nor more than $500.00, or imprisoned for not less than 30 days nor more than six months, or both; or alternatively, shall be sentenced to not less than 30 days nor more than 90 days of community service wherein the offender may be required to perform maintenance services in a cemetery located within city limits.
(Code 1956, § 42-74; M.C.S., Ord. No. 18,751, § 1, 6-4-98)
Source: City of New Orleans, Code of Ordinances and Home Rule Charter (Municode Library, library.municode.com)URL: https://library.municode.com/la/new_orleans/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=PTIICO_CH54CRCO_ARTVIOFAFPUGE_DIV3OFAFPUSE_S54-377DEGRFetched: 10/28/2026