1996 US Code
Title 18 - CRIMES AND CRIMINAL PROCEDURE
PART I - CRIMES
CHAPTER 73 - OBSTRUCTION OF JUSTICE
Sec. 1503 - Influencing or injuring officer or juror generally

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§1503. Influencing or injuring officer or juror generally

(a) Whoever corruptly, or by threats or force, or by any threatening letter or communication, endeavors to influence, intimidate, or impede any grand or petit juror, or officer in or of any court of the United States, or officer who may be serving at any examination or other proceeding before any United States magistrate judge or other committing magistrate, in the discharge of his duty, or injures any such grand or petit juror in his person or property on account of any verdict or indictment assented to by him, or on account of his being or having been such juror, or injures any such officer, magistrate judge, or other committing magistrate in his person or property on account of the performance of his official duties, or corruptly or by threats or force, or by any threatening letter or communication, influences, obstructs, or impedes, or endeavors to influence, obstruct, or impede, the due administration of justice, shall be punished as provided in subsection (b). If the offense under this section occurs in connection with a trial of a criminal case, and the act in violation of this section involves the threat of physical force or physical force, the maximum term of imprisonment which may be imposed for the offense shall be the higher of that otherwise provided by law or the maximum term that could have been imposed for any offense charged in such case.

(b) The punishment for an offense under this section is—

(1) in the case of a killing, the punishment provided in sections 1111 and 1112;

(2) in the case of an attempted killing, or a case in which the offense was committed against a petit juror and in which a class A or B felony was charged, imprisonment for not more than 20 years, a fine under this title, or both; and

(3) in any other case, imprisonment for not more than 10 years, a fine under this title, or both.

(June 25, 1948, ch. 645, 62 Stat. 769; Oct. 12, 1982, Pub. L. 97–291, §4(c), 96 Stat. 1253; Sept. 13, 1994, Pub. L. 103–322, title VI, §60016, title XXXIII, §330016(1)(K), 108 Stat. 1974, 2147; Oct. 1, 1996, Pub. L. 104–214, §1(3), 110 Stat. 3017.)

Historical and Revision Notes

Based on title 18, U.S.C., 1940 ed., §241 (Mar. 4, 1909, ch. 321, §135, 35 Stat. 1113; June 8, 1945, ch. 178, §1, 59 Stat. 234).

The phrase “other committing magistrate” was substituted for “officer acting as such commissioner” in order to clarify meaning.

Minor changes were made in phraseology.

Amendments

1996—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 104–214 inserted at end “If the offense under this section occurs in connection with a trial of a criminal case, and the act in violation of this section involves the threat of physical force or physical force, the maximum term of imprisonment which may be imposed for the offense shall be the higher of that otherwise provided by law or the maximum term that could have been imposed for any offense charged in such case.”

1994—Pub. L. 103–322, §330016(1)(K), which directed the substitution of “fined under this title” for “fined not more than ,000”, could not be executed because the words “fined not more than ,000” did not appear in text subsequent to amendment by Pub. L. 103–322, §60016. See below.

Pub. L. 103–322, §60016, designated existing provisions as subsec. (a), substituted “magistrate judge” for “commissioner” in two places and “punished as provided in subsection (b)” for “fined not more than ,000 or imprisoned not more than five years, or both”, and added subsec. (b).

1982—Pub. L. 97–291, §4(c)(1), substituted “or juror” for “, juror or witness” after “officer” in section catchline.

Pub. L. 97–291, §4(c)(2), (3), substituted in text “grand” for “witness, in any court of the United States or before any United States commissioner or other committing magistrate, or any grand” after “or impede any”, and struck out “injures any party or witness in his person or property on account of his attending or having attended such court or examination before such officer, commissioner, or other committing magistrate, or on account of his testifying or having testified to any matter pending therein, or” after “discharge of his duty, or”.

Effective Date of 1982 Amendment

Amendment by Pub. L. 97–291 effective Oct. 12, 1982, see section 9(a) of Pub. L. 97–291, set out as an Effective Date note under section 1512 of this title.

Cross References

Bribery of officers, jurors, or witnesses, see section 201 et seq. of this title.

Influencing juror or witness as criminal contempt, see section 401 of this title.

Wire or oral communications, authorization for interception, to provide evidence of offenses under this section, see section 2516 of this title.

Section Referred to in Other Sections

This section is referred to in sections 201, 1512, 1961, 2516, 3142 of this title; title 7 section 12a; title 29 section 1111.