AB 422

Under current law, no one may intentionally cause or threaten bodily harm to

a judge or a member of a judge's family if the person knows that the person harmed

or threatened is a judge or a family member of the judge, and the person who causes

or threatens harm does so while the judge is acting in his or her official capacity or

as a response to an official action by the judge. A person who does so is guilty of a

Class H felony and may be fined not more than $10,000, imprisoned for not more than

six years, or both.

This bill attaches the same penalty to a person who knowingly causes or

threatens bodily harm to a district attorney or a member of a district attorney's

family while the district attorney is acting in an official capacity or as a response to

an official action by the district attorney. The bill defines district attorney to include

any person authorized to prosecute a criminal case or a delinquency petition, or his

or her designee.

Under current law, no one may intimidate a witness or a victim in an effort to

prevent the witness or victim from reporting or cooperating in the prosecution of a

crime. Anyone who intimidates a witness or a victim is guilty of a Class A

misdemeanor and may be fined not more than $10,000, imprisoned for not more than

nine months, or both. If the person who intimidates a witness or victim acts in

furtherance of a conspiracy, for monetary gain, or injures or harms the property of

the victim or witness, the person is guilty of a Class G felony, and may be fined not

more than $25,000, imprisoned for not more than ten years, or both.

This bill attaches the same penalties to a person who intimidates a district

attorney in an effort to prevent the district attorney from prosecuting a crime.

Because this bill creates a new crime or revises a penalty for an existing crime,

the Joint Review Committee on Criminal Penalties may be requested to prepare a

report concerning the proposed penalty and the costs or savings that are likely to

result if the bill is enacted.