Bill > A1220

Introduced Session

This bill provides that a person is guilty of hindering apprehension or prosecution whenever the person withholds or refuses to give valid identification or reveal her or his true identity to a law enforcement officer in order to hinder the officer's lawful investigation or detention of that person for certain criminal or motor vehicle offenses. Under N.J.S.2C:29-3, purposely hindering one's own detention, apprehension, investigation, prosecution, conviction or punishment for a violation of Title 39 (motor vehicles) or chapter 33A of Title 17 (insurance fraud) of the Revised Statutes by giving false information to a law enforcement officer or a civil State investigator assigned to the Office of the Insurance Fraud Prosecutor is a disorderly persons offense, fourth degree crime, or third degree crime, depending upon the offense that was committed. Current law provides that giving false information to hinder one's own apprehension or prosecution for a motor vehicle or insurance fraud violation is: · a crime of the third degree if the conduct which the actor has been charged or is liable to be charged with constitutes a crime of the second degree or greater; · a crime of the fourth degree if the conduct constitutes a crime of the third degree; or · a disorderly persons offense. This bill clarifies that a person who withholds or refuses to provide a valid identification or reveal her or his truthful identity in order to purposely hinder the person's own apprehension or prosecution for a motor vehicle or insurance fraud offense would be subject to the same penalties as a person who gives false information. A third degree crime is punishable by three to five years imprisonment, a fine of up to $15,000, or both. A fourth degree crime is punishable by up to 18 months imprisonment, a fine of up to $10,000, or both. A disorderly persons offense is punishable by up to six months imprisonment, a fine of up to $1,000, or both.

Committee Categories

Annette Chaparro (D)*, 

Introduced, Referred to Assembly Law and Public Safety Committee (on 01/14/2020)