720 ILCS 5/10-4 – Forcible Detention
This law makes it a crime to hold someone hostage to force a third person to do something.
If someone keeps another person as a hostage to make a third person do what they want, and they either have a weapon or know the hostage is a police officer or correctional worker, that person can be charged with forcible detention, which is a Class 2 felony.
(a) A person breaks this law when they hold someone hostage without legal reason to make a different person do something the hostage taker demands. This particular law only applies if one of the following is true:
- The person holding the hostage has a dangerous weapon.
- The person knows the hostage is a police officer or a correctional worker doing their job.
(b) Sentence: This crime is a Class 2 felony, which typically carries a prison sentence of 3-7 years.
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