SENATE BILL No. 1176

 

 

April 28, 2004, Introduced by Senators GEORGE, GOSCHKA, GARCIA, BIRKHOLZ, BERNERO and TOY and referred to the Committee on Judiciary.

 

 

        

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                 A bill to amend 1931 PA 328, entitled                                             

                                                                                

    "The Michigan penal code,"                                                  

                                                                                

    (MCL 750.1 to 750.568) by adding section 395.                               

                                                                                

                THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:                      

                                                                                

1       Sec. 395.  (1) A person shall not do either of the                          

                                                                                

2   following:                                                                  

                                                                                

3       (a) Damage or destroy the research property of another person               

                                                                                

4   with the intent to do either of the following:                              

                                                                                

5                                                                                (i) To frighten, intimidate, or harass any person.                                  

                                                                                

6       (ii) To prevent any person from engaging in any lawful                       

                                                                                

7   profession, occupation, or activity.                                        

                                                                                

8       (b) Place any object in any research property to prevent the                

                                                                                

9   lawful growing, harvesting, transportation, keeping, selling, or            

                                                                                

10  processing of that research property.                                       

                                                                                

11      (2) A person who violates subsection (1) is guilty of a crime               

                                                                                


                                                                                

1   as follows:                                                                 

                                                                                

2       (a) If the value of the research property is less than                      

                                                                                

3   $200.00, the person is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by                

                                                                                

4   imprisonment for not more than 93 days or a fine of not more than           

                                                                                

5   $500.00 or 3 times the value of the research property damaged or            

                                                                                

6   destroyed, whichever is greater, or both imprisonment and a                 

                                                                                

7   fine.                                                                       

                                                                                

8       (b) If any of the following apply, the person is guilty of a                

                                                                                

9   misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for not more than 1 year             

                                                                                

10  or a fine of not more than $2,000.00 or 3 times the value of the            

                                                                                

11  research property damaged or destroyed, whichever is greater, or            

                                                                                

12  both imprisonment and a fine:                                               

                                                                                

13                                                                               (i) The value of the research property is $200.00 or more but                       

                                                                                

14  less than $1,000.00.                                                        

                                                                                

15      (ii) The person violates subdivision (a) and has 1 or more                   

                                                                                

16  prior convictions for committing or attempting to commit a                  

                                                                                

17  violation of this section.                                                  

                                                                                

18      (c) If any of the following apply, the person is guilty of a                

                                                                                

19  felony punishable by imprisonment for not more than 5 years or a            

                                                                                

20  fine of not more than $10,000.00 or 3 times the value of the                

                                                                                

21  research property damaged or destroyed, whichever is greater, or            

                                                                                

22  both imprisonment and a fine:                                               

                                                                                

23                                                                               (i) The value of the research property is $1,000.00 or more                         

                                                                                

24  but less than $20,000.00.                                                   

                                                                                

25      (ii) The person violates subdivision (b)(i) and has 1 or more                

                                                                                

26  prior convictions for violating or attempting to violate this               

                                                                                

27  section.  For purposes of this subparagraph, however, a prior               


                                                                                

1   conviction does not include a conviction for a violation or                 

                                                                                

2   attempted violation of subdivision (a) or (b)(ii).                           

                                                                                

3       (d) If any of the following apply, the person is guilty of a                

                                                                                

4   felony punishable by imprisonment for not more than 5 years or a            

                                                                                

5   fine of not more than $15,000.00 or 3 times the value of the                

                                                                                

6   research property damaged or destroyed, whichever is greater, or            

                                                                                

7   both imprisonment and a fine:                                               

                                                                                

8                                                                                (i) The property has a value of $20,000.00 or more.                                 

                                                                                

9       (ii) The person violates subdivision (c)(i) and has 2 or more                

                                                                                

10  prior convictions for committing or attempting to commit a                  

                                                                                

11  violation of this section.  For purposes of this subparagraph,              

                                                                                

12  however, a prior conviction does not include a conviction for a             

                                                                                

13  violation or attempted violation of subdivision (a) or (b)(ii).              

                                                                                

14      (e) If the violation results in physical injury to another                  

                                                                                

15  individual, other than serious impairment of a body function, the           

                                                                                

16  person is guilty of a felony punishable by imprisonment for not             

                                                                                

17  more than 5 years or a fine of not more than $20,000.00 or 3                

                                                                                

18  times the value of the research property damaged or destroyed,              

                                                                                

19  whichever is greater, or both imprisonment and a fine.                      

                                                                                

20      (f) If the violation causes serious impairment of a body                    

                                                                                

21  function to another individual, the person is guilty of a felony            

                                                                                

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

                                                                                

23  of not more than $25,000.00 or 3 times the value of the research            

                                                                                

24  property damaged or destroyed, whichever is greater, or both                

                                                                                

25  imprisonment and a fine.  As used in this subdivision, "serious             

                                                                                

26  impairment of a body function" includes, but is not limited to, 1           

                                                                                

27  or more of the following:                                                   


                                                                                

1                                                                                (i) The loss of a limb or use of a limb.                                            

                                                                                

2       (ii) The loss of a hand, foot, finger, or thumb or use of a                  

                                                                                

3   hand, foot, finger, or thumb.                                               

                                                                                

4       (iii) The loss of an eye or ear or use of an eye or ear.                     

                                                                                

5       (iv) The loss or substantial impairment of a bodily                          

                                                                                

6   function.                                                                   

                                                                                

7       (v) A serious visible disfigurement.                                        

                                                                                

8       (vi) A comatose state that lasts for more than 3 days.                       

                                                                                

9       (vii) Any measurable brain damage or mental impairment.                      

                                                                                

10      (viii) A skull fracture or other serious bone fracture.                       

                                                                                

11      (ix) A subdural hemorrhage or subdural hematoma.                            

                                                                                

12      (g) If the violation causes the death of another individual,                

                                                                                

13  the person is guilty of a felony and shall be imprisoned for not            

                                                                                

14  more than 15 years and may be fined not more than $40,000.00 or 3           

                                                                                

15  times the value of the research property damaged or destroyed,              

                                                                                

16  whichever is greater.  This subsection does not prohibit the                

                                                                                

17  person from being charged with, convicted of, or punished for any           

                                                                                

18  other violation of law arising out of the same criminal                     

                                                                                

19  transaction as the violation of this section, in lieu of being              

                                                                                

20  charged with, convicted of, or punished for the violation of this           

                                                                                

21  section.                                                                    

                                                                                

22      (3) The value of research property damaged or destroyed in                  

                                                                                

23  separate incidents pursuant to a scheme or course of conduct                

                                                                                

24  within any 12-month period may be aggregated to determine the               

                                                                                

25  total value of research property damaged or destroyed.                      

                                                                                

26      (4) If the prosecuting attorney intends to seek an enhanced                 

                                                                                

27  sentence based upon the defendant having 1 or more prior                    


                                                                                

1   convictions, the prosecuting attorney shall include on the                  

                                                                                

2   complaint and information a statement listing the prior                     

                                                                                

3   conviction or convictions.  The existence of the defendant's                

                                                                                

4   prior conviction or convictions shall be determined by the court,           

                                                                                

5   without a jury, at sentencing or at a separate hearing for that             

                                                                                

6   purpose before sentencing.  The existence of a prior conviction             

                                                                                

7   may be established by any evidence relevant for that purpose,               

                                                                                

8   including, but not limited to, 1 or more of the following:                  

                                                                                

9       (a) A copy of the judgment of conviction.                                   

                                                                                

10      (b) A transcript of a prior trial, plea-taking, or                          

                                                                                

11  sentencing.                                                                 

                                                                                

12      (c) Information contained in a presentence report.                          

                                                                                

13      (d) The defendant's statement.                                              

                                                                                

14      (5) If the sentence for a conviction under this section is                  

                                                                                

15  enhanced by 1 or more prior convictions, those prior convictions            

                                                                                

16  shall not be used to further enhance the sentence for the                   

                                                                                

17  conviction pursuant to section 10, 11, or 12 of chapter IX of the           

                                                                                

18  code of criminal procedure, 1927 PA 175, MCL 769.10, 769.11, and            

                                                                                

19  769.12.                                                                     

                                                                                

20      (6) The court shall order a person convicted of violating                   

                                                                                

21  this section to pay restitution to the victim.  The court may               

                                                                                

22  also order the person to pay 1 or more of the following:                    

                                                                                

23      (a) All research and development costs for the research                     

                                                                                

24  property damaged or destroyed that arise out of the violation.              

                                                                                

25      (b) The tuition costs and lost wages of a student conducting                

                                                                                

26  research regarding the research property damaged or destroyed or            

                                                                                

27  who is unable to conduct or continue research because of a loss             


                                                                                

1   that arises out of the violation.                                           

                                                                                

2       (7) As used in this section:                                                

                                                                                

3       (a) "Research" means any lawful activity involving the use of               

                                                                                

4   animals, animal products, or other animal substances, intended              

                                                                                

5   for or used for scientific purposes, including, but not limited             

                                                                                

6   to, research, testing, and experimentation.                                 

                                                                                

7       (b) "Research property" means all real, personal, and                       

                                                                                

8   intellectual property related to research belonging to or                   

                                                                                

9   conducted by a person, institution, or business entity.