§ 45-7-303 — Obstructing Justice

45-7-303 . Obstructing justice. (1) For the purpose of this section "an offender" means a person who has been or is liable to be arrested, charged, convicted, or punished for a public offense.
(2) A person commits the offense of obstructing justice if, knowing another person is an offender, the person purposely:
(a) harbors or conceals an offender;
(b) warns an offender of impending discovery or apprehension, except this does not apply to a warning given in connection with an effort to bring an offender into compliance with the law;
(c) provides an offender with money, transportation, weapon, disguise, or other means of avoiding discovery or apprehension;
(d) prevents or obstructs by means of force, deception, or intimidation anyone from performing an act that might aid in the discovery or apprehension of an offender;
(e) suppresses by act of concealment, alteration, or destruction any physical evidence that might aid in the discovery or apprehension of an offender; or
(f) aids an offender who is subject to official detention to escape from official detention.
(3) A person convicted of obstructing justice shall be:
(a) imprisoned in the state prison for a term not to exceed 10 years if the offender has been or is liable to be charged with a felony; or
(b) fined not to exceed $500 or be imprisoned in the county jail for a term not to exceed 6 months, or both, if the offender has been or is liable to be charged with a misdemeanor.

Legislative History

En. 94-7-303 by Sec. 1, Ch. 513, L. 1973; R.C.M. 1947, 94-7-303 ; amd. Sec. 1686, Ch. 56, L. 2009.