Chapter 8B. Crimes Against Public Officials.

§ 22–851. Protection of District public officials.

(a) For the purposes of this section, the term:

(1) “Family member” means an individual to whom the official or employee of the District of Columbia is related by blood, legal custody, marriage, domestic partnership, having a child in common, the sharing of a mutual residence, or the maintenance of a romantic relationship not necessarily including a sexual relationship.

(2) “Official or employee” means a person who currently holds or formerly held a paid or unpaid position in the legislative, executive, or judicial branch of government of the District of Columbia, including boards and commissions.

(b) A person who corruptly or, by threat or force, or by any threatening letter or communication, intimidates, impedes, interferes with, or retaliates against, or attempts to intimidate, impede, interfere with, or retaliate against any official or employee, while the official or employee is engaged in the performance of his or her duties or on account of the performance of those duties, shall be fined not more than the amount set forth in § 22-3571.01 or imprisoned not more than 5 years, or both.

(c) A person who stalks, threatens, assaults, kidnaps, or injures any official or employee or vandalizes, damages, destroys, or takes the property of an official or employee, while the official or employee is engaged in the performance of his or her duties or on account of the performance of those duties, shall be fined not more than the amount set forth in § 22-3571.01 or imprisoned not more than 3 years, or both, in addition to any other penalties authorized by law.

(d) A person who stalks, threatens, assaults, kidnaps, or injures a family member or vandalizes, damages, destroys, or takes the property of a family member on account of the performance of the official or employee’s duties, shall be fined not more than the amount set forth in § 22-3571.01 or imprisoned not more than 3 years, or both, in addition to any other penalties authorized by law.

(Apr. 24, 2007, D.C. Law 16-306, § 106, 53 DCR 8610; June 11, 2013, D.C. Law 19-317, § 206(e), 60 DCR 2064.)

Section References

This section is referenced in § 5-132.21.

Effect of Amendments

The 2013 amendment by D.C. Law 19-317 substituted “not more than the amount set forth in § 22-3571.01” for “not more than $5,000” in (b), and for “not more than $3,000” in (c) and (d).

Emergency Legislation

For temporary (90 day) addition, see § 106 of Omnibus Public Safety Emergency Amendment Act of 2006 (D.C. Act 16-445, July 19, 2006, 53 DCR 6443).

For temporary (90 day) addition, see § 106 of Omnibus Public Safety Congressional Review Emergency Amendment Act of 2006 (D.C. Act 16-490, October 18, 2006, 53 DCR 8686).

For temporary (90 day) addition, see § 106 of Omnibus Public Safety Congressional Review Emergency Amendment Act of 2007 (D.C. Act 17-10, January 16, 2007, 54 DCR 1479).

For temporary (90 day) addition, see § 106 of Omnibus Public Safety Second Congressional Review Emergency Amendment Act of 2007 (D.C. Act 17-25, April 19, 2007, 54 DCR 4036).

For temporary (90 days) amendment of this section, see § 206(e) of the Criminal Fine Proportionality Emergency Act of 2013 (D.C. Act 20-45, April 1, 2013, 60 DCR 5400, 20 DCSTAT 1300).

Editor's Notes

Applicability of D.C. Law 19-317: Section 401 of D.C. Law 19-317 provided that the act shall apply only to offenses committed on or after June 11, 2013.