Missouri Laws 575.270 – Tampering with a witness or victim — penalties
1. A person commits the offense of tampering with a witness or victim if:
(1) With the purpose to induce a witness or a prospective witness to disobey a subpoena or other legal process, absent himself or herself, avoid subpoena or other legal process, withhold evidence, information, or documents, or testify falsely, he or she:
Attorney's Note
Under the Missouri Laws, punishments for crimes depend on the classification. In the case of this section:| Class | Prison | Fine |
|---|---|---|
| Class D felony | up to 7 years | up to $10,000 |
| Class A misdemeanor | up to 1 year | up to $2,000 |
Terms Used In Missouri Laws 575.270
- Arrest: Taking physical custody of a person by lawful authority.
- Complaint: A written statement by the plaintiff stating the wrongs allegedly committed by the defendant.
- Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
- Indictment: The formal charge issued by a grand jury stating that there is enough evidence that the defendant committed the crime to justify having a trial; it is used primarily for felonies.
- person: may extend and be applied to bodies politic and corporate, and to partnerships and other unincorporated associations. See Missouri Laws 1.020
- Property: includes real and personal property. See Missouri Laws 1.020
- State: when applied to any of the United States, includes the District of Columbia and the territories, and the words "United States" includes such district and territories. See Missouri Laws 1.020
- Subpoena: A command to a witness to appear and give testimony.
- Testify: Answer questions in court.
(a) Threatens or causes harm to any person or property; or
(b) Uses force, threats or deception; or
(c) Offers, confers or agrees to confer any benefit, direct or indirect, upon such witness; or
(d) Conveys any of the foregoing to another in furtherance of a conspiracy; or
(2) He or she purposely prevents or dissuades or attempts to prevent or dissuade any person who has been a victim of any crime or a person who is acting on behalf of any such victim from:
(a) Making any report of such victimization to any peace officer, state, local or federal law enforcement officer, prosecuting agency, or judge;
(b) Causing a complaint, indictment or information to be sought and prosecuted or assisting in the prosecution thereof;
(c) Arresting or causing or seeking the arrest of any person in connection with such victimization.
2. The offense of tampering with a witness or victim is a class A misdemeanor, unless the original charge is a felony, in which case tampering with a witness or victim is a class D felony. Persons convicted under this section shall not be eligible for parole.