New Jersey Statutes 2C:29-3.1. Animal owned, used by law enforcement agency, search and rescue dog, harming, threatening, interference with officer, degree of crime, penalties
Attorney's Note
Under the New Jersey Statutes, punishments for crimes depend on the classification. In the case of this section:| Class | Prison | Fine |
|---|---|---|
| crime of the third degree | between 3 and 5 years | up to $15,000 |
| crime of the fourth degree | up to 18 months | up to $10,000 |
| disorderly persons offense | up to 6 months | up to $1,000 |
Terms Used In New Jersey Statutes 2C:29-3.1
- Defendant: In a civil suit, the person complained against; in a criminal case, the person accused of the crime.
- 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.
- person: includes corporations, companies, associations, societies, firms, partnerships and joint stock companies as well as individuals, unless restricted by the context to an individual as distinguished from a corporate entity or specifically restricted to one or some of the above enumerated synonyms and, when used to designate the owner of property which may be the subject of an offense, includes this State, the United States, any other State of the United States as defined infra and any foreign country or government lawfully owning or possessing property within this State. See New Jersey Statutes 1:1-2
- Restitution: The court-ordered payment of money by the defendant to the victim for damages caused by the criminal action.
b. Any person who purposely maims or otherwise inflicts harm upon a dog, horse or other animal owned or used by a law enforcement agency or a search and rescue dog shall be guilty of a crime of the fourth degree.
c. Any person who purposely threatens to kill, maim or otherwise inflict harm upon a dog, horse or other animal owned or used by a law enforcement agency or a search and rescue dog, under circumstances reasonably causing the person to whom the threat is made to believe that it is likely that it will be carried out, shall be guilty of a crime of the fourth degree.
d. Any person who interferes with any law enforcement officer using an animal in the performance of his official duties commits a disorderly persons offense, subject to a sentence of six months’ imprisonment, some or all of which may be community service, restitution and a $1,000 fine.
As used in this section, “search and rescue dog” means any dog trained or being trained for the purpose of search and rescue that is owned by an independent handler or member of a search and rescue team, and used in conjunction with local law enforcement or emergency services organizations for the purpose of locating missing persons or evidence of arson.
L.1983, c.261, s.1; amended 1999, c.14; 2005, c.24; 2011, c.77; 2013, c.137.