Title 22 — Criminal Offenses and Penalties.

Any staff member, employee, contract employee, consultant, or volunteer at a hospital, treatment facility, detention or correctional facility, group home, or other institution; anyone who is an ambulance driver or attendant, a bus driver or attendant, or person who participates i…

(a) A person is guilty of first degree sexual abuse who purports to provide, in any manner, professional services of a medical, therapeutic, or counseling (whether legal, spiritual, or otherwise) nature, and engages in a sexual act with another person who is a patient or client o…

(a) A person is guilty of second degree sexual abuse who purports to provide, in any manner, professional services of a medical, therapeutic, or counseling (whether legal, spiritual, or otherwise) nature, and engages in a sexual contact with another person who is a patient or cli…

(a) Consent is not a defense to a prosecution under §§ 22-3013 to 22-3016, prosecuted alone or in conjunction with charges under § 22-3018. (b) That the defendant and victim were married or in a domestic partnership at the time of the offense is a defense, which the defendant mus…

Any person who attempts to commit an offense under this subchapter shall be imprisoned for a term of years not to exceed 15 years where the maximum prison term authorized for the offense is life or for not more than 1/2 of the maximum prison sentence authorized for the offense an…

No actor is immune from prosecution under any section of this subchapter because of marriage, domestic partnership, or cohabitation with the victim; provided, that marriage or the domestic partnership of the parties may be asserted as an affirmative defense in prosecution under t…

(a) Any person who is found guilty of an offense under this subchapter may receive a penalty up to 1 1/2 times the maximum penalty prescribed for the particular offense, and may receive a sentence of more than 30 years up to, and including life imprisonment without possibility of…

For the purposes of this subchapter, the term: (1) “Child” means an individual who has not yet attained the age of 16 years. (2) “Person” means an individual 18 years of age or older. (3) “Police” means the Metropolitan Police Department. (4) “Sexual abuse” means any act that is …

(a) Any person who knows, or has reasonable cause to believe, that a child is a victim of sexual abuse shall immediately report such knowledge or belief to the police. For the purposes of this subchapter, a call to 911, or a report to the Child and Family Services Agency, shall b…

(a) Any survivor of domestic violence may use such domestic violence as a defense to his or her failure to report under this subchapter. (b) For the purposes of this section, the term “domestic violence” means intimate partner violence, as defined in § 16-1001(7), and intrafamily…

(a) Any person required to make a report under this subchapter who willfully fails to make such a report shall be subject to a civil fine of $300. (b) Adjudication of any infraction of this subchapter shall be handled by the Office of Administrative Hearings pursuant to § 2-1831.…

(a) Any person who in good faith makes a report pursuant to this subchapter shall have immunity from liability, civil or criminal, that might otherwise be incurred or imposed with respect to the making of the report or any participation in any judicial proceeding involving the re…

(a) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, in a criminal case in which a person is accused of an offense under subchapter II of this chapter, reputation or opinion evidence of the past sexual behavior of an alleged victim of such offense is not admissible. (b) For the purpos…

(a) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, in a criminal case in which a person is accused of an offense under subchapter II of this chapter, evidence of a victim’s past sexual behavior other than reputation or opinion evidence is also not admissible, unless such evidence ot…

Evidence of delay in reporting an offense under subchapter II of this chapter to a public authority shall not raise any presumption concerning the credibility or veracity of a charge under subchapter II of this chapter.

Laws attaching a privilege against disclosure of communications between spouses or domestic partners are inapplicable in prosecutions under subchapter II of this chapter where the defendant is or was married to the victim, or is or was a domestic partner of the victim, or where t…

For the purposes of this chapter, the term: (1) “Disclose” means to transfer or exhibit to 5 or fewer persons. (2) “Harm” means any injury, whether physical or nonphysical, including psychological, financial, or reputational injury. (3) “Internet” means an electronically availabl…

(a) It shall be unlawful in the District of Columbia for a person to knowingly disclose one or more sexual images of another identified or identifiable person when: (1) The person depicted did not consent to the disclosure of the sexual image; (2) There was an agreement or unders…

(a) It shall be unlawful in the District of Columbia for a person to knowingly publish one or more sexual images of another identified or identifiable person when: (1) The person depicted did not consent to the disclosure or publication of the sexual image; (2) There was an agree…

(a) It shall be unlawful in the District of Columbia for a person to knowingly publish one or more sexual images of another identified or identifiable person obtained from a third party or other source when: (1) The person depicted did not consent to the disclosure or publication…

(a) This chapter shall not apply to: (1) Constitutionally protected activity; or (2) A person disclosing or publishing a sexual image that resulted from the voluntary exposure of the person depicted in a public or commercial setting. (b) Nothing in this chapter shall be construed…

It shall be an affirmative defense to a violation of § 22-3052, § 22-3053, or § 22-3054 if the disclosure or publication of a sexual image is made in the public interest, including the reporting of unlawful conduct, the lawful and common practices of law enforcement, or legal pro…

A violation of § 22-3052, § 22-3053, or § 22-3054 shall be deemed to be committed in the District of Columbia if any part of the violation takes place in the District of Columbia, including when either the person depicted or the person who disclosed or published the sexual image …

For the purposes of this chapter, the term: (1) “Knowingly” means having general knowledge of, or reason to know or a belief or ground for belief which warrants further inspection or inquiry, or both. (2) “Minor” means any person under 18 years of age. (3) “Performance” means any…

(a) It shall be unlawful in the District of Columbia for a person knowingly to use a minor in a sexual performance or to promote a sexual performance by a minor. (1) A person is guilty of the use of a minor in a sexual performance if knowing the character and content thereof, he …

Violation of this chapter shall be a felony and shall be punished by: (1) A fine of not more than the amount set forth in § 22-3571.01 or imprisonment for not more than 10 years, or both for the first offense; or (2) A fine of not more than the amount set forth in § 22-3571.01 or…

(a) Under this chapter it shall be an affirmative defense that the defendant in good faith reasonably believed the person appearing in the performance was 18 years of age or over. (b)(1) Except as provided in paragraph (2) of this subsection, in any prosecution for an offense pur…

(a) The Council finds that stalking is a serious problem in this city and nationwide. Stalking involves severe intrusions on the victim’s personal privacy and autonomy. It is a crime that can have a long-lasting impact on the victim’s quality of life, and creates risks to the sec…

For the purposes of this chapter, the term: (1) “Any device” means electronic, mechanical, digital or any other equipment, including: a camera, spycam, computer, spyware, microphone, audio or video recorder, global positioning system, electronic monitoring system, listening devic…

(a) It is unlawful for a person to purposefully engage in a course of conduct directed at a specific individual: (1) With the intent to cause that individual to: (A) Fear for his or her safety or the safety of another person; (B) Feel seriously alarmed, disturbed, or frightened; …

(a) Except as provided in subsections (b) and (c) of this section, a person who violates § 22-3133 shall be fined not more than the amount set forth in § 22-3571.01, imprisoned for not more than 12 months, or both. (b) A person who violates § 22-3133 shall be fined not more than …

(a) An offense shall be deemed to be committed in the District of Columbia if the conduct on at least one occasion was initiated in the District of Columbia or had an effect on the specific individual in the District of Columbia. (b) A communication shall be deemed to be committe…

This chapter may be cited as the “Anti-Terrorism Act of 2002”.

For the purposes of this chapter, the term: (1) “Act of terrorism” means an act or acts that constitute a specified offense as defined in paragraph (8) of this section and that are intended to: (A) Intimidate or coerce a significant portion of the civilian population of: (i) The …

(a) A person who commits first degree murder that constitutes an act of terrorism shall, upon conviction, be punished by imprisonment for life without the possibility of release. (b) A person who commits murder of a law enforcement officer or public safety employee that constitut…

(a) A person who manufactures or possesses a weapon of mass destruction capable of causing multiple deaths, serious bodily injuries to multiple persons, or massive destruction of property may, upon conviction, be punished by imprisonment for life. (b) A person who attempts or con…

(a) A person who uses, disseminates, or detonates a weapon of mass destruction capable of causing multiple deaths, serious bodily injuries to multiple persons, or massive destruction of property may, upon conviction, be punished by imprisonment for life. (b) A person who attempts…

There is jurisdiction to prosecute any person who participates in the commission of any offense described in this chapter if any act in furtherance of the offense occurs in the District of Columbia or where the effect of any act in furtherance of the offense occurs in the Distric…

For the purposes of this chapter, the term: (1) “Appropriate” means to take or make use of without authority or right. (2) “Deprive” means: (A) To withhold property or cause it to be withheld from a person permanently or for so extended a period or under such circumstances as to …

Amounts or property received pursuant to a single scheme or systematic course of conduct in violation of § 22-3211 (Theft), § 22-3221 (Fraud), § 22-3223 (Credit Card Fraud), § 22-3227.02 (Identity Theft), § 22-3231 (Trafficking in Stolen Property), or § 22-3232 (Receiving Stolen …

(a) A person may be convicted of any combination of theft, identity theft, fraud, credit card fraud, unauthorized use of a vehicle, commercial piracy, and receiving stolen property for the same act or course of conduct; provided, that no person shall be consecutively sentenced fo…

For the purposes of this chapter, in cases involving more than one jurisdiction, or in cases where more than one District of Columbia agency is responsible for investigating an alleged violation, the investigating agency to which the report was initially made may refer the matter…

(a) For the purpose of this section, the term “wrongfully obtains or uses” means: (1) taking or exercising control over property; (2) making an unauthorized use, disposition, or transfer of an interest in or possession of property; or (3) obtaining property by trick, false preten…

Any person convicted of theft in the first degree shall be fined not more than the amount set forth in § 22-3571.01 or imprisoned for not more than 10 years, or both, if the value of the property obtained or used is $1,000 or more. Any person convicted of theft in the second degr…

(a) A person commits the offense of shoplifting if, with intent to appropriate without complete payment any personal property of another that is offered for sale or with intent to defraud the owner of the value of the property, that person: (1) Knowingly conceals or takes possess…

(a) For the purpose of this section, the term: (1) “Owner”, with respect to phonorecords or copies, means the person who owns the original fixation of the property involved or the exclusive licensee in the United States of the rights to reproduce and distribute to the public phon…

(a) For the purposes of this section, the term: (1) “Audiovisual works” means material objects upon which are fixed a series of related images which are intrinsically intended to be shown by the use of machines or devices such as projectors, viewers, or electronic equipment, now …

(a) For the purposes of this section, the term: (1) “Motion picture theater” means a theater or other auditorium in which a motion picture is exhibited. (2) “Recording device” means a photographic or video camera, audio or video recorder, or any other device not existing, or late…

(a) For the purposes of this section, the term “motor vehicle” means any automobile, self-propelled mobile home, motorcycle, truck, truck tractor, truck tractor with semitrailer or trailer, or bus. (b) A person commits the offense of unauthorized use of a motor vehicle under this…

A person commits the offense of taking property without right if that person takes and carries away the property of another without right to do so. A person convicted of taking property without right shall be fined not more than the amount set forth in § 22-3571.01 or imprisoned …