Pennsylvania § 6009 Desertion

Pennsylvania Statutes

§ 6009 — Desertion

Pennsylvania § 6009

Title 51MILITARY AFFAIRS

PartPART IV

Ch. 60PUNITIVE SECTIONS

This text of Pennsylvania § 6009 (Desertion) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Pennsylvania primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook

51 Pa. Cons. Stat. § 6009 (2026).

Text

(a)Offense defined.--Any member of the State military forces who:

(1)without authority goes or remains absent from his unit, organization or place of duty with intent to remain away from there permanently;

(2)quits his unit, organization or place of duty with intent to avoid hazardous duty or to shirk important service; or

(3)without being regularly separated from one of the State military forces, enlists or accepts an appointment in the same or another one of the State military forces, or in one of the armed forces of the United States, without fully disclosing the fact that he has not been regularly separated or enters any foreign armed service, except when authorized by the United States; is guilty of desertion.

(b)Commissioned officer tendering resignation.--Any commissioned

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(a) Offense defined.--Any member of the State military forces who:

(1) without authority goes or remains absent from his unit, organization or place of duty with intent to remain away from there permanently;

(2) quits his unit, organization or place of duty with intent to avoid hazardous duty or to shirk important service; or

(3) without being regularly separated from one of the State military forces, enlists or accepts an appointment in the same or another one of the State military forces, or in one of the armed forces of the United States, without fully disclosing the fact that he has not been regularly separated or enters any foreign armed service, except when authorized by the United States;

is guilty of desertion.

(b) Commissioned officer tendering resignation.--Any commissioned officer of the State military forces who, after tender of his resignation and before notice of its acceptance, quits his post or proper duties without leave and with intent to remain away from there permanently is guilty of desertion.

(c) Punishment.--Any person found guilty of desertion or attempt to desert shall be punished, if the offense is committed in time of war, by confinement of not more than five years or such other punishment as a court-martial may direct. If the desertion or attempt to desert occurs at any other time, the person shall be punished as a court-martial may direct.