1st Engrossment - 84th Legislature (2005 - 2006) Posted on 12/15/2009 12:00am
A bill for an act
relating to public safety; prohibiting falsely
reporting police misconduct; prohibiting providing
false information to a peace officer about the conduct
of another; imposing criminal penalties; amending
Minnesota Statutes 2004, section 609.505.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:
Minnesota Statutes 2004, section 609.505, is
amended to read:
Whoever informs a law
enforcement officer that a crime has been committed new text begin or otherwise
provides information to an on-duty peace officer, knowing that
the person is a peace officer, regarding the conduct of othersnew text end ,
knowing that it is false and intending that the officer shall
act in reliance upon it, is guilty of a misdemeanor. A person
who is convicted a second or subsequent time under this section
is guilty of a gross misdemeanor.
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(a) Whoever
informs, or causes information to be communicated to, a peace
officer, whose responsibilities include investigating or
reporting police misconduct, that a peace officer, as defined in
section 626.84, subdivision 1, paragraph (c), has committed an
act of police misconduct, knowing that the information is false,
is guilty of a crime and may be sentenced as follows:
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(1) up to the maximum provided for a misdemeanor if the
false information does not allege a criminal act; or
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(2) up to the maximum provided for a gross misdemeanor if
the false information alleges a criminal act.
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(b) The court may order any person convicted of a violation
of this subdivision to make full restitution of all reasonable
expenses incurred in the investigation of the false allegation.
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Section 1 is effective August 1, 2005, and applies to
crimes committed on or after that date.
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