Bill > S300

Introduced Session

This bill provides that, in certain circumstances, a person is guilty of hindering apprehension or prosecution by withholding or refusing to give valid identification or identifying information. Under current law, a person hinders the person's own apprehension, investigation, prosecution, conviction, or punishment for a motor vehicle or insurance fraud offense by: (1) suppressing evidence; (2) preventing or obstructing another person from acting in a way to discover, apprehend, or bring charges against the person; (3) preventing or obstructing witnesses or informants from testifying; or (4) giving false information to a law enforcement officer or a civil State investigator assigned to the Office of the Insurance Fraud Prosecutor. The bill provides that a person also hinders the person's own apprehension or prosecution if, upon arrest and having been requested to do so by a law enforcement officer, the person withholds or refuses to provide valid identification or the person's true identity in order to purposely hinder the apprehension or prosecution. Under the bill, a person would be subject to the same penalties as a person who gives false information. 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 first or second degree;· a crime of the fourth degree if the conduct constitutes a crime of the third degree; or· a disorderly persons offense. 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

Brian Stack (D)*, 

Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Law and Public Safety Committee (on 01/09/2024)

Official Document