New Jersey Statutes 2C:29-8. Corrupting or influencing a jury
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 first degree | between 10 and 20 years | up to $200,000 |
| crime of the second degree | between 5 and 10 years | up to $150,000 |
| crime of the third degree | between 3 and 5 years | up to $15,000 |
Terms Used In New Jersey Statutes 2C:29-8
- 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: 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
- Trial: A hearing that takes place when the defendant pleads "not guilty" and witnesses are required to come to court to give evidence.
- Verdict: The decision of a petit jury or a judge.
Any person who, directly or indirectly, corrupts, influences or attempts to corrupt or influence a jury or juror to be more favorable to the one side than to the other by promises, persuasions, entreaties, threats, letters, money, entertainment or other sinister means; or any person who employs any unfair or fraudulent practice, art or contrivance to obtain a verdict, or attempts to instruct a jury or juror beforehand at any place or time, or in any manner or way, except in open court at the trial of the cause, by the strength of the evidence, the arguments of the parties or their counsel, or the opinion or charge of the court is guilty of a crime.
a. Corrupting or influencing a jury is a crime of the first degree if the conduct occurs in connection with an official proceeding involving any of the following crimes, as enumerated in subsection d. of section 2 of P.L.1997, c.117 (C. 2C:43-7.2), and the actor employs force or threat of force:
(1) N.J.S.2C:11-3, murder;
(2) N.J.S.2C:11-4, aggravated manslaughter or manslaughter;
(3) N.J.S.2C:11-5, reckless vehicular homicide or strict liability vehicular homicide under the provisions of section 1 of P.L.2017, c.165 (C. 2C:11-5.3);
(4) subsection b. of N.J.S.2C:12-1, aggravated assault;
(5) subsection b. of section 1 of P.L.1996, c.14 (C. 2C:12-11), disarming a law enforcement officer;
(6) N.J.S.2C:13-1, kidnapping;
(7) subsection a. of N.J.S.2C:14-2, aggravated sexual assault;
(8) subsection b. of N.J.S. 2C:14-2 and paragraph (1) of subsection c. of N.J.S.2C:14-2, sexual assault;
(9) N.J.S.2C:15-1, robbery;
(10) section 1 of P.L.1993, c.221 (C. 2C:15-2), carjacking;
(11) paragraph (1) of subsection a. of N.J.S.2C:17-1, aggravated arson;
(12) N.J.S.2C:18-2, burglary;
(13) subsection a. of N.J.S.2C:20-5, extortion;
(14) subsection b. of section 1 of P.L.1997, c.185 (C. 2C:35-4.1), booby traps in manufacturing or distribution facilities;
(15) N.J.S.2C:35-9, strict liability for drug induced deaths;
(16) section 2 of P.L.2002, c.26 (C. 2C:38-2), terrorism;
(17) section 3 of P.L.2002, c.26 (C. 2C:38-3), producing or possessing chemical weapons, biological agents or nuclear or radiological devices; or
(18) N.J.S.2C:41-2, racketeering, when it is a crime of the first degree.
b. Corrupting or influencing a jury is a crime of the second degree if the actor employs force or threat of force and the conduct occurs in connection with an action which does not involve any of the crimes enumerated in subsection a. of this section.
c. Otherwise, corrupting or influencing a jury is a crime of the third degree, provided, however, that the presumption of nonimprisonment set forth in subsection e. of 2C:44-1 for persons who have not previously been convicted of an offense shall not apply.
(added) 1981, c.290, s.33; amended 1986, c.140; 2009, c.169; 2017, c.165, s.8.