SENATE BILL No. 258

 

 

March 5, 2003, Introduced by Senator CROPSEY and referred to the Committee on Judiciary.

 

 

        

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                 A bill to amend 1931 PA 328, entitled                                             

                                                                                

    "The Michigan penal code,"                                                  

                                                                                

    by amending section 120a (MCL 750.120a), as amended by 2000                 

                                                                                

    PA 450.                                                                     

                                                                                

                THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:                      

                                                                                

1       Sec. 120a.  (1) A person who willfully attempts to influence                

                                                                                

2   the decision of a juror in any case by argument or persuasion,              

                                                                                

3   other than as part of the proceedings in open court in the trial            

                                                                                

4   of the case, is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by                       

                                                                                

5   imprisonment for not more than 1 year or a fine of not more than            

                                                                                

6   $1,000.00, or both.                                                         

                                                                                

7       (2) A person who willfully attempts to influence the decision               

                                                                                

8   of a juror in any case by intimidation, other than as part of the           

                                                                                

9   proceedings in open court in the trial of the case, is guilty of            

                                                                                

10  a crime as follows:                                                         

                                                                                


                                                                                

1       (a) Except as provided in  subdivision  subdivisions (b) and                

                                                                                

2   (c), the person is guilty of a felony punishable by imprisonment            

                                                                                

3   for not more than 4 years or a fine of not more than $5,000.00,             

                                                                                

4   or both.                                                                    

                                                                                

5       (b) If the intimidation is committed in a criminal case for                 

                                                                                

6   which the maximum term of imprisonment for the violation is more            

                                                                                

7   than 10 years, or the violation is punishable by imprisonment for           

                                                                                

8   life or any term of years, the person is guilty of a felony                 

                                                                                

9   punishable by imprisonment for not more than 10 years or a fine             

                                                                                

10  of not more than $20,000.00, or both.                                       

                                                                                

11      (c) If the intimidation involved committing or attempting to                

                                                                                

12  commit a crime or a threat to kill or injure any person or to               

                                                                                

13  cause property damage, the person is guilty of a felony                     

                                                                                

14  punishable by imprisonment for not more than 15 years or a fine             

                                                                                

15  of not more than $25,000.00, or both.                                       

                                                                                

16      (3) Subsections (1) and (2) do not prohibit any deliberating                

                                                                                

17  juror from attempting to influence other members of the same jury           

                                                                                

18  by any proper means.                                                        

                                                                                

19      (4) A person who retaliates, attempts to retaliate, or                      

                                                                                

20  threatens to retaliate against another person for having                    

                                                                                

21  performed his or her duties as a juror is guilty of a felony                

                                                                                

22  punishable by imprisonment for not more than 10 years or a fine             

                                                                                

23  of not more than $20,000.00, or both.  As used in this                      

                                                                                

24  subsection, "retaliate" means any of the following:                         

                                                                                

25      (a) Committing or attempting to commit a crime against any                  

                                                                                

26  person.                                                                     

                                                                                

27      (b) Threatening to kill or injure any person or threatening                 


                                                                                

1   to cause property damage.                                                   

                                                                                

2       (5) This section does not prohibit a person from being                      

                                                                                

3   charged with, convicted of, or punished for any other violation             

                                                                                

4   of law including any violation of law arising out of the same               

                                                                                

5   transaction as the violation of this section.                               

                                                                                

6       (6) The court may order a term of imprisonment imposed for                  

                                                                                

7   violating subsection (2) or (4) to be served consecutively to a             

                                                                                

8   term of imprisonment imposed for any other violation of law                 

                                                                                

9   including any violation of law arising out of the same                      

                                                                                

10  transaction as the violation of this section.