Bill Text: IA HF2250 | 2023-2024 | 90th General Assembly | Introduced
NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft
Bill Title: A bill for an act relating to tampering with witnesses, jurors, or reporting parties, and providing penalties. (Formerly HSB 506.) Effective date: 07/01/2024.
Spectrum: Committee Bill
Status: (Passed) 2024-05-03 - Signed by Governor. H.J. 936. [HF2250 Detail]
Download: Iowa-2023-HF2250-Introduced.html
Bill Title: A bill for an act relating to tampering with witnesses, jurors, or reporting parties, and providing penalties. (Formerly HSB 506.) Effective date: 07/01/2024.
Spectrum: Committee Bill
Status: (Passed) 2024-05-03 - Signed by Governor. H.J. 936. [HF2250 Detail]
Download: Iowa-2023-HF2250-Introduced.html
House
File
2250
-
Introduced
HOUSE
FILE
2250
BY
COMMITTEE
ON
JUDICIARY
(SUCCESSOR
TO
HSB
506)
A
BILL
FOR
An
Act
relating
to
tampering
with
witnesses,
jurors,
or
1
reporting
parties,
and
providing
penalties.
2
BE
IT
ENACTED
BY
THE
GENERAL
ASSEMBLY
OF
THE
STATE
OF
IOWA:
3
TLSB
5493HV
(3)
90
as/js
H.F.
2250
Section
1.
Section
720.4,
Code
2024,
is
amended
by
striking
1
the
section
and
inserting
in
lieu
thereof
the
following:
2
720.4
Tampering
with
witnesses,
jurors,
or
reporting
parties.
3
1.
As
used
in
this
section:
4
a.
“Juror”
means
the
same
as
defined
in
section
607A.3,
5
subsection
5.
6
b.
“Reporting
party”
means
a
person
who
does
either
of
the
7
following:
8
(1)
Reports
or
attempts
to
report
a
public
offense
to
9
any
fire
department,
law
enforcement
agency,
emergency
10
communications
center,
or
other
public
safety
entity.
11
(2)
Assists
or
attempts
to
assist
a
law
enforcement
agency
12
or
a
prosecuting
agency
in
any
criminal
investigation
or
13
judicial
proceeding.
14
c.
“Tampering”
includes
any
of
the
following
acts
committed
15
against
a
witness,
juror,
or
reporting
party:
16
(1)
Bribery
or
an
attempt
to
bribe.
17
(2)
Threats.
18
(3)
Forcible
or
fraudulent
detaining
or
restraining.
19
(4)
Harassment
as
described
in
section
708.7,
subsection
1.
20
(5)
Assault
as
described
in
section
708.1,
subsection
2.
21
(6)
Any
other
public
offense.
22
d.
“Witness”
means
a
person
who
is
summoned
to
testify
in
23
any
judicial
proceeding,
arbitration,
or
legislative
hearing,
24
or
who
is
listed
in
the
minutes
of
evidence
as
provided
in
rule
25
of
criminal
procedure
2.4
or
2.5.
26
2.
A
person
shall
not
do
any
of
the
following:
27
a.
With
the
intent
to
improperly
influence
the
testimony
of
28
an
individual
that
the
person
believes
is
or
may
be
a
witness,
29
to
prevent
such
individual
from
testifying,
to
encourage
such
30
individual
to
disobey
or
avoid
a
subpoena
or
other
legal
31
process,
or
to
encourage
such
individual
to
withhold
evidence,
32
information,
or
documents,
or
in
retaliation
for
anything
33
lawfully
done
by
such
an
individual,
tamper
with
a
witness.
34
b.
With
the
intent
to
improperly
influence
the
decision
35
-1-
LSB
5493HV
(3)
90
as/js
1/
3
H.F.
2250
of
any
individual
that
the
person
believes
is
or
may
be
a
1
juror,
to
prevent
such
individual
from
serving
in
a
judicial
2
proceeding,
or
in
retaliation
for
anything
lawfully
done
by
3
such
individual,
tamper
with
a
juror.
4
c.
With
the
intent
to
improperly
influence
the
statements
5
of
an
individual
that
the
person
believes
is
or
may
be
a
6
reporting
party,
to
prevent
such
individual
from
becoming
a
7
reporting
party,
to
encourage
such
individual
to
disobey
or
8
avoid
a
subpoena
or
other
legal
process,
or
to
encourage
such
9
individual
to
withhold
evidence,
information,
or
documents,
10
or
in
retaliation
for
anything
lawfully
done
by
such
an
11
individual,
tamper
with
a
reporting
party.
12
3.
A
person
who
tampers
with
a
witness,
juror,
or
reporting
13
party,
as
described
in
subsection
2,
commits
a
class
“D”
14
felony.
However,
if
the
tampering
occurs
in
a
judicial
15
proceeding
in
which
a
defendant
is
charged
with
a
class
“A”
16
felony
or
a
class
“B”
felony,
a
violation
of
this
section
is
a
17
class
“C”
felony.
18
EXPLANATION
19
The
inclusion
of
this
explanation
does
not
constitute
agreement
with
20
the
explanation’s
substance
by
the
members
of
the
general
assembly.
21
This
bill
relates
to
tampering
with
witnesses,
jurors,
or
22
reporting
parties.
23
The
bill
strikes
current
Code
section
720.4
(tampering
with
24
witnesses
or
jurors).
The
bill
states
that
a
person
shall
not,
25
with
certain
specified
intent
or
in
retaliation
to
a
lawful
26
act
of
the
witness,
juror,
or
reporting
party,
tamper
with
the
27
witness,
juror,
or
reporting
party.
28
The
bill
provides
that
tampering
with
a
witness,
juror,
29
or
reporting
party
is
a
class
“D”
felony.
However,
if
the
30
tampering
occurs
in
a
judicial
proceeding
in
which
a
defendant
31
is
charged
with
a
class
“A”
or
class
“B”
felony,
such
tampering
32
is
a
class
“C”
felony.
A
class
“D”
felony
is
punishable
by
33
confinement
for
no
more
than
five
years
and
a
fine
of
at
least
34
$1,025
but
not
more
than
$10,245.
A
class
“C”
felony
is
35
-2-
LSB
5493HV
(3)
90
as/js
2/
3
