Bill > SB1635

This bill creates a new law in Arizona that makes it a crime to intentionally warn someone that law enforcement officers are trying to arrest them in real-time, with the intent to help that person avoid arrest. This new offense, called "unlawful alerting of another person to avoid arrest," is classified as a Class 1 misdemeanor, which is a serious but less severe type of crime. The bill specifies that "communicates" can include electronic messages, gestures, verbal statements, signals like amplified sounds or whistles, written messages, or any other method of conveying information. It also defines "imminent or ongoing effort to arrest" as a law enforcement activity happening at the same time as or immediately before an attempt to take someone into custody, including surveillance, pursuit, or executing an arrest warrant. Importantly, this law includes exceptions for attorneys giving legal advice to their clients, individuals responding to lawful requests from law enforcement, and situations where the person giving the warning did not know the other person was about to be arrested or did not intend to hinder the arrest. The Attorney General or county attorney can prosecute violations of this new law.

Justice

https://apps.azleg.gov/BillStatus/BillOverview/85268