§129.1. Intimidating, impeding, or injuring witnesses; injuring officers; penalties

A. No person shall intentionally:

(1) Intimidate or impede, by threat of force or force, or attempt to intimidate or impede, by threat of force or force, a witness or a member of his immediate family with intent to influence his testimony, his reporting of criminal conduct, or his appearance at a judicial proceeding;

(2) Injure or attempt to injure a witness in his person or property, or a member of his immediate family, with intent to influence his testimony, his reporting of criminal conduct, or his appearance at a judicial proceeding; or

(3) Injure or attempt to injure an officer of a court of this state in his person or property, or a member of his immediate family, because of the performance of his duties as an officer of a court of this state or with intent to influence the performance of his duties as an officer of a court of this state.

B. For purposes of this Section the following words shall have the following meanings:

(1) "A member of his immediate family" means a spouse, parent, sibling, and child, whether related by blood or adoption.

(2) "Witness" means any of the following:

(a) A person who is a victim of conduct defined as a crime under the laws of this state, another state, or the United States.

(b) A person whose declaration under oath has been received in evidence in any court of this state, another state, or the United States.

(c) A person who has reported a crime to a peace officer, prosecutor, probation or parole officer, correctional officer, or judicial officer of this state, another state, or the United States.

(d) A person who has been served with a subpoena issued under authority of any court of this state, another state, or the United States, or

(e) A person who reasonably would be believed by an offender to be a witness as previously defined in this Section.

C.(1) Whoever violates the provisions of this Section in a civil proceeding shall be fined not more than five thousand dollars, imprisoned, with or without hard labor, for not more than five years, or both.

(2) Whoever violates the provisions of this Section in a criminal proceeding in which a sentence of death or life imprisonment may be imposed, the offender shall be fined not more than one hundred thousand dollars, imprisoned for not more than forty years at hard labor, or both.

(3) Whoever violates the provisions of this Section in a criminal proceeding in which a sentence of imprisonment necessarily served at hard labor for any period less than a life sentence may be imposed, the offender shall be fined not more than fifty thousand dollars, or imprisoned for not more than twenty years at hard labor, or both.

(4) Whoever violates the provisions of this Section in a criminal proceeding in which any other sentence may be imposed, the offender shall be fined not more than ten thousand dollars, imprisoned for not more than five years, with or without hard labor, or both.

Added by Acts 1981, No. 866, §2; Acts 2008, No. 4, §1.