Section 575.270

Title XXXVIII CRIMES AND PUNISHMENT; PEACE OFFICERS AND PUBLIC DEFENDERS

Chapter 575

Effective - 01 Jan 2017, 2 histories, see footnote   

  575.270.  Tampering with a witness or victim — penalties. — 1.  A person commits the offense of tampering with a witness or victim if:

  (1)  With the purpose to induce a witness or a prospective witness to disobey a subpoena or other legal process, absent himself or herself, avoid subpoena or other legal process, withhold evidence, information, or documents, or testify falsely, he or she:

  (a)  Threatens or causes harm to any person or property; or

  (b)  Uses force, threats or deception; or

  (c)  Offers, confers or agrees to confer any benefit, direct or indirect, upon such witness; or

  (d)  Conveys any of the foregoing to another in furtherance of a conspiracy; or

  (2)  He or she purposely prevents or dissuades or attempts to prevent or dissuade any person who has been a victim of any crime or a person who is acting on behalf of any such victim from:

  (a)  Making any report of such victimization to any peace officer, state, local or federal law enforcement officer, prosecuting agency, or judge;

  (b)  Causing a complaint, indictment or information to be sought and prosecuted or assisting in the prosecution thereof;

  (c)  Arresting or causing or seeking the arrest of any person in connection with such victimization.

  2.  The offense of tampering with a witness or victim is a class A misdemeanor, unless the original charge is a felony, in which case tampering with a witness or victim is a class D felony.  Persons convicted under this section shall not be eligible for parole.

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(L. 1977 S.B. 60, A.L. 1983 S.B. 24, A.L. 2005 H.B. 353, A.L. 2014 S.B. 491)

Effective 1-01-17

CROSS REFERENCES:

Court order against witness or victim tampering, 491.600; violations, 491.610

Pretrial release of defendant conditioned on no tampering, forms for bail or bond to set out also forfeiture of bond, 491.620