Bill > H1557

This bill, titled "To Properly Punish the Solicitation of Felony Crimes," proposes to amend existing law by adding a new section that defines punishments for soliciting another person to commit a felony. A felony is a serious crime, typically punishable by imprisonment for more than one year. The bill outlines four tiers of penalties based on the severity of the felony being solicited. If the solicited felony is punishable by death or life imprisonment, the penalty for solicitation can be a fine of up to $10,000, imprisonment in state prison for up to 20 years, or jail time of up to two and a half years, or a combination of these. For felonies punishable by more than ten years in state prison, the penalties are similar but capped at ten years of state prison time. If the solicited felony is punishable by up to ten years in state prison, the penalties are a fine of up to $5,000, state prison time of up to five years, or jail time of up to two and a half years, or both. Finally, if the solicited crime is any other felony not covered by the previous tiers, the penalty is a fine of up to $2,000 or jail time of up to two and a half years, or both. Importantly, this new section will not apply if the penalty for solicitation is already specifically defined elsewhere in the General Laws.