1st Engrossment - 83rd Legislature (2003 - 2004) Posted on 12/15/2009 12:00am
1.1 A bill for an act 1.2 relating to crimes; prohibiting providing false 1.3 information to police; providing penalties; amending 1.4 Minnesota Statutes 2002, section 609.505. 1.5 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 1.6 Section 1. Minnesota Statutes 2002, section 609.505, is 1.7 amended to read: 1.8 609.505 [FALSELY REPORTING CRIME; PROVIDING FALSE 1.9 INFORMATION.] 1.10 Subdivision 1. [FALSE REPORTING.] Whoever informs a law 1.11 enforcement officer that a crime has been committed, knowing 1.12 that it is false and intending that the officer shall act in 1.13 reliance upon it, is guilty of a misdemeanor. A person who is 1.14 convicted a second or subsequent time under this section is 1.15 guilty of a gross misdemeanor. 1.16 Subd. 2. [FALSE INFORMATION.] (a) Except as provided in 1.17 subdivision 1 and unless a more severe penalty is imposed 1.18 elsewhere in law, whoever provides false information about 1.19 another person to a law enforcement officer knowing that it is 1.20 false, intending that the officer shall act in reliance upon it, 1.21 and intending to obstruct justice, is guilty of a gross 1.22 misdemeanor. A person who is convicted a second or subsequent 1.23 time under this section is guilty of a felony and may be 1.24 sentenced to imprisonment for not more than two years or to 1.25 payment of a fine of not more than $4,000, or both. 2.1 (b) Paragraph (a) does not apply to a report of police 2.2 misconduct. 2.3 Sec. 2. [EFFECTIVE DATE.] 2.4 Section 1 is effective August 1, 2004, and applies to 2.5 crimes committed on or after that date.