Bill Text: IA HF237 | 2023-2024 | 90th General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: A bill for an act relating to tampering with witnesses or jurors, and providing penalties.(See HF 399.)
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Introduced) 2023-02-22 - Committee report approving bill, renumbered as HF 399. [HF237 Detail]
Download: Iowa-2023-HF237-Introduced.html
House
File
237
-
Introduced
HOUSE
FILE
237
BY
SHIPLEY
A
BILL
FOR
An
Act
relating
to
tampering
with
witnesses
or
jurors,
and
1
providing
penalties.
2
BE
IT
ENACTED
BY
THE
GENERAL
ASSEMBLY
OF
THE
STATE
OF
IOWA:
3
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237
Section
1.
Section
720.4,
Code
2023,
is
amended
to
read
as
1
follows:
2
720.4
Tampering
with
witnesses
or
jurors.
3
A
person
who
offers
any
bribe
to
any
person
who
the
offeror
4
believes
has
been
or
may
be
summoned
as
a
witness
or
juror
in
5
any
judicial
or
arbitration
proceeding,
or
any
legislative
6
hearing,
or
who
makes
any
threats
toward
such
person
or
who
7
forcibly
or
fraudulently
detains
or
restrains
such
person,
with
8
the
intent
to
improperly
influence
such
witness
or
juror
with
9
respect
to
the
witness’
or
juror’s
testimony
or
decision
in
10
such
case,
or
to
prevent
such
person
from
testifying
or
serving
11
in
such
case,
or
who,
in
retaliation
for
anything
lawfully
done
12
by
any
witness
or
juror
in
any
case,
harasses
such
witness
or
13
juror,
commits
an
aggravated
misdemeanor
a
class
“C”
felony
.
14
EXPLANATION
15
The
inclusion
of
this
explanation
does
not
constitute
agreement
with
16
the
explanation’s
substance
by
the
members
of
the
general
assembly.
17
This
bill
relates
to
tampering
with
witnesses
or
jurors.
18
Current
law
provides
that
a
person
who
offers
a
bribe,
19
makes
threats,
or
improperly
detains
or
restrains
another
20
person
who
the
person
believes
has
been
or
will
be
summoned
as
21
a
witness
or
juror
in
any
judicial
or
arbitration
proceeding
22
or
legislative
hearing
for
the
purpose
of
influencing
or
23
preventing
the
other
person’s
testimony
or
preventing
the
24
other
person
from
serving
as
a
juror
on
the
case,
commits
an
25
aggravated
misdemeanor.
The
bill
increases
the
penalty
for
26
tampering
with
a
witness
or
juror
to
a
class
“C”
felony.
27
An
aggravated
misdemeanor
is
punishable
by
confinement
for
28
no
more
than
two
years
and
a
fine
of
at
least
$855
but
not
more
29
than
$8,540.
A
class
“C”
felony
is
punishable
by
confinement
30
for
no
more
than
10
years
and
a
fine
of
at
least
$1,370
but
not
31
more
than
$13,660.
32
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