by: Jacqueline Keenan Do you feel that you are being threatened?
In North Carolina, it is illegal to try to stop a witness from testifying through threats or intimidation. Intimidation under this law can include threats of bodily harm or violence, cursing, vulgarity, or threatening language given the context of the statements as a whole. These statements can be explicit, like “if you testify I’m going to break your arm,” or can contain language that implies a threat, like “I’ll give you a taste of your own medicine”, or “I’ll make you regret this”. Threats made against a witness are a Class G Felony. In North Carolina, a Class G Felony alone can lead to a sentence of 8-31 months in prison. This is a serious crime! Who is affected by this law? The witness intimidation law protects any person who has been “summoned” or is “acting as a witness”. It punishes any person who threatens, intimidates, attempts to intimidate, or prevents the attendance of a witness from any North Carolina state court. The law also pertains to defendants in a criminal proceeding who threaten a witness in their case with the assertion or denial of parental rights. What to do if you’re being threatened If you are a witness and feel you are being threatened, it is important that you report the threat to the police or an attorney on the case, so they can take appropriate action. If you’re interested in more information about witness intimidation, contact Adkins Law!
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January 2022
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