PRIA, Government Policy, Made Personal

Summary

Trying to influence, frighten, threaten, or hurt jurors, judges, magistrates, or other court officers so they cannot do their jobs is against the law. That includes using bribes, threats, force, or threatening letters or messages. It also makes it illegal to damage a juror’s or officer’s person or property because of a verdict, indictment, or because they served. It also bans any attempt to block or interfere with the fair running of the courts. If the act causes a killing, the punishment is the same as for murder under the law. If it is an attempted killing, or it is done against a trial juror in a case charging a class A or B felony, the maximum jail time is 20 years, a fine, or both. In other cases, the maximum is 10 years, a fine, or both. If the act happens during a criminal trial and involves threats of physical force or physical force, the sentence can be the higher of the punishment above or the maximum that could be imposed for any crime charged in that trial.

Title 18, §1503

Crimes and Criminal Procedure, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Whoever corruptly, or by threats or force, or by any threatening letter or communication, endeavors to influence, intimidate, or impede any grand or petit juror, or officer in or of any court of the United States, or officer who may be serving at any examination or other proceeding before any United States magistrate judge or other committing magistrate, in the discharge of his duty, or injures any such grand or petit juror in his person or property on account of any verdict or indictment assented to by him, or on account of his being or having been such juror, or injures any such officer, magistrate judge, or other committing magistrate in his person or property on account of the performance of his official duties, or corruptly or by threats or force, or by any threatening letter or communication, influences, obstructs, or impedes, or endeavors to influence, obstruct, or impede, the due administration of justice, shall be punished as provided in subsection (b). If the offense under this section occurs in connection with a trial of a criminal case, and the act in violation of this section involves the threat of physical force or physical force, the maximum term of imprisonment which may be imposed for the offense shall be the higher of that otherwise provided by law or the maximum term that could have been imposed for any offense charged in such case.

(b)The punishment for an offense under this section is—

(1)in the case of a killing, the punishment provided in section 1111 and 1112;

(2)in the case of an attempted killing, or a case in which the offense was committed against a petit juror and in which a class A or B felony was charged, imprisonment for not more than 20 years, a fine under this title, or both; and

(3)in any other case, imprisonment for not more than 10 years, a fine under this title, or both.

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Historical and Revision Notes

Based on title 18, U.S.C., 1940 ed., § 241 (Mar. 4, 1909, ch. 321, § 135, 35 Stat. 1113; June 8, 1945, ch. 178, § 1, 59 Stat. 234). The phrase “other committing magistrate” was substituted for “officer acting as such commissioner” in order to clarify meaning. Minor changes were made in phraseology.

Editorial Notes

Amendments

1996—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 104–214 inserted at end “If the offense under this section occurs in connection with a trial of a criminal case, and the act in violation of this section involves the threat of physical force or physical force, the maximum term of imprisonment which may be imposed for the offense shall be the higher of that otherwise provided by law or the maximum term that could have been imposed for any offense charged in such case.” 1994—Pub. L. 103–322, § 330016(1)(K), which directed the substitution of “fined under this title” for “fined not more than $5,000”, could not be executed because the words “fined not more than $5,000” did not appear in text subsequent to amendment by Pub. L. 103–322, § 60016. See below. Pub. L. 103–322, § 60016, designated existing provisions as subsec. (a), substituted “magistrate judge” for “commissioner” in two places and “punished as provided in subsection (b)” for “fined not more than $5,000 or imprisoned not more than five years, or both”, and added subsec. (b). 1982—Pub. L. 97–291, § 4(c)(1), substituted “or juror” for “, juror or witness” after “officer” in section catchline. Pub. L. 97–291, § 4(c)(2), (3), substituted in text “grand” for “witness, in any court of the United States or before any United States commissioner or other committing magistrate, or any grand” after “or impede any”, and struck out “injures any party or witness in his person or property on account of his attending or having attended such court or examination before such officer, commissioner, or other committing magistrate, or on account of his testifying or having testified to any matter pending therein, or” after “discharge of his duty, or”.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

of 1982 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 97–291 effective Oct. 12, 1982, see section 9(a) of Pub. L. 97–291, set out as an

Effective Date

note under section 1512 of this title.

§1503 Influencing or Injuring Officer or Juror Generally

Summary

Title 18, §1503

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Historical and Revision Notes

Editorial Notes

Amendments

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

Effective Date

Citations & Metadata