Minnesota Session Laws - 1987, Regular Session

  

                         Laws of Minnesota 1987 

                        CHAPTER 194-H.F.No. 147 
           An act relating to crimes; expanding the crime of 
          witness tampering to include the act of intimidating a 
          witness to make false statements; amending Minnesota 
          Statutes 1986, section 609.498, subdivisions 1 and 2.  
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
    Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 1986, section 609.498, 
subdivision 1, is amended to read: 
    Subdivision 1.  [TAMPERING WITH A WITNESS IN THE FIRST 
DEGREE.] Whoever does any of the following is guilty of 
tampering with a witness in the first degree and may be 
sentenced as provided in subdivision 1a:  
    (a) intentionally prevents or dissuades or intentionally 
attempts to prevent or dissuade by means of force or threats of 
injury to person, family, any person or property, a person who 
is or may become a witness from attending or testifying at any 
trial, proceeding, or inquiry authorized by law; 
    (b) by means of force or threats of injury to any person or 
property, intentionally coerces or attempts to coerce a person 
who is or may become a witness to testify falsely at any trial, 
proceeding, or inquiry authorized by law; 
    (c) intentionally threatens to cause injury to person, 
family, any person or property in retaliation against a person 
who was summoned as a witness at any trial, proceeding, or 
inquiry authorized by law, within a year following that trial, 
proceeding, or inquiry or within a year following the actor's 
release from incarceration, whichever is later;  
    (c) (d) intentionally prevents or dissuades or attempts to 
prevent or dissuade, by means of force or threats of injury to 
person, family, any person or property, a person from providing 
information to law enforcement authorities concerning a 
crime; or 
    (e) by means of force or threats of injury to any person or 
property, intentionally coerces or attempts to coerce a person 
to provide false information concerning a crime to law 
enforcement authorities; or 
    (d) (f) intentionally threatens to cause injury to person, 
family, any person or property in retaliation against a person 
who has provided information to law enforcement authorities 
concerning a crime within a year of that person providing the 
information or within a year of the actor's release from 
incarceration, whichever is later.  
    Sec. 2.  Minnesota Statutes 1986, section 609.498, 
subdivision 2, is amended to read:  
    Subd. 2.  [TAMPERING WITH A WITNESS IN THE SECOND DEGREE.] 
Whoever does any of the following is guilty of tampering with a 
witness in the second degree and may be sentenced as provided in 
subdivision 3:  
    (a) intentionally prevents or dissuades or intentionally 
attempts to prevent or dissuade by means of any act described in 
section 609.27, subdivision 1, clause (3), (4), or (5), a person 
who is or may become a witness from attending or testifying at 
any trial, proceeding, or inquiry authorized by law; or 
    (b) by means of any act described in section 609.27, 
subdivision 1, clause (3), (4), or (5), intentionally coerces or 
attempts to coerce a person who is or may become a witness to 
testify falsely at any trial, proceeding, or inquiry authorized 
by law;  
    (c) intentionally prevents or dissuades or attempts to 
prevent or dissuade by means of any act described in section 
609.27, subdivision 1, clause (3), (4), or (5), a person from 
providing information to law enforcement authorities concerning 
a crime; or 
    (d) by means of any act described in section 609.27, 
subdivision 1, clause (3), (4), or (5), intentionally coerces or 
attempts to coerce a person to provide false information 
concerning a crime to law enforcement authorities. 
    Sec. 3.  [EFFECTIVE DATE.] 
    Sections 1 and 2 are effective August 1, 1987, and apply to 
crimes committed on or after that date. 
    Approved May 21, 1987