Missouri Laws 575.280 – Acceding to corruption — penalties
1. A person commits the offense of acceding to corruption if he or she:
(1) Is a judge, juror, special master, referee or arbitrator and knowingly solicits, accepts, or agrees to accept any benefit, direct or indirect, on the representation or understanding that it will influence his or her official action in a judicial proceeding pending in any court or before such official or juror;
Attorney's Note
Under the Missouri Laws, punishments for crimes depend on the classification. In the case of this section:| Class | Prison | Fine |
|---|---|---|
| Class C felony | between 3 and 10 years | up to $10,000 |
| 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 575.280
- 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.
- Juror: A person who is on the jury.
- person: may extend and be applied to bodies politic and corporate, and to partnerships and other unincorporated associations. See Missouri Laws 1.020
- Subpoena: A command to a witness to appear and give testimony.
- Testify: Answer questions in court.
(2) Is a witness or prospective witness in any official proceeding and knowingly solicits, accepts, or agrees to accept any benefit, direct or indirect, on the representation or understanding that he or she will 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.
2. The offense of acceding to corruption under subdivision (1) of subsection 1 of this section is a class C felony. The offense of acceding to corruption under subdivision (2) of subsection 1 of this section in a felony prosecution or on the representation or understanding of testifying falsely is a class D felony. Otherwise acceding to corruption is a class A misdemeanor.