Minnesota Session Laws - 1995, Regular Session

                            CHAPTER 179-H.F.No. 1399 
                  An act relating to crime; imposing penalties for 
                  assaulting a police horse while it is being used for 
                  law enforcement purposes; proposing coding for new law 
                  in Minnesota Statutes, chapter 609. 
        BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
           Section 1.  [609.597] [ASSAULTING OR HARMING A POLICE 
        HORSE; PENALTIES.] 
           Subdivision 1.  [DEFINITION.] As used in this section, 
        "police horse" means a horse that has been trained for crowd 
        control and other law enforcement purposes and is used to assist 
        peace officers in the performance of their official duties. 
           Subd. 2.  [CRIME.] Whoever assaults or intentionally harms 
        a police horse while the horse is being used or maintained for 
        use by a law enforcement agency is guilty of a crime and may be 
        sentenced as provided in subdivision 3. 
           Subd. 3.  [PENALTIES.] A person convicted of violating 
        subdivision 2 may be sentenced as follows: 
           (1) if a peace officer, or any other person suffers great 
        bodily harm or death as a result of the violation, the person 
        may be sentenced to imprisonment for not more than five years or 
        to payment of a fine of not more than $10,000, or both; 
           (2) if the police horse suffers death or great bodily harm 
        as a result of the violation, or if a peace officer suffers 
        demonstrable bodily harm as a result of the violation, the 
        person may be sentenced to imprisonment for not more than two 
        years or to payment of a fine of not more than $4,000, or both; 
           (3) if the police horse suffers demonstrable bodily harm as 
        a result of the violation, the person may be sentenced to 
        imprisonment for not more than one year and one day or to 
        payment of a fine of not more than $3,000, or both; 
           (4) if a peace officer is involuntarily unseated from the 
        police horse or any person, other than the peace officer, 
        suffers demonstrable bodily harm as a result of the violation, 
        the person may be sentenced to imprisonment for not more than 
        one year or to payment of a fine of not more than $3,000, or 
        both; 
           (5) if a violation other than one described in clauses (1) 
        to (4) occurs, the person may be sentenced to imprisonment for 
        not more than 90 days or to payment of a fine of not more than 
        $700, or both. 
           Sec. 2.  [EFFECTIVE DATE.] 
           Section 1 is effective the date following final enactment 
        and applies to crimes committed on or after that date. 
           Presented to the governor May 15, 1995 
           Signed by the governor May 17, 1995, 2:02 p.m.