720 ILCS 5/32-4a – Harassment of Representatives for the Child, Jurors, Witnesses and Others
This law makes it illegal to harass or threaten jurors, witnesses, child representatives, or their families because of their roles in court cases.
This statute says that it is a serious crime to bother, scare, or threaten people like jurors, witnesses, or child representatives – or their families – because of what they did in a legal case. Depending on who is targeted, it can be a felony or a misdemeanor.
(a) Anyone who purposely tries to upset or scare one of the following:
- A juror (or their family)
- A witness (or their family)
Because of their part in a court case breaks this law. This includes communicating directly or indirectly in a way that causes emotional pain, stress, or fear, or by making threats to harm someone or their property. Doing this is a Class 2 felony.
(b) Anyone who purposely tries to upset or scare a child representative – or their family – because of their work helping a child in a legal case, breaks this law. This includes communicating directly or indirectly in a way that causes emotional pain, stress, or fear, or by making threats to harm someone or their property. This is a Class A misdemeanor.
(c) For this law, the term “family member” includes a spouse, parent, child, stepchild, or anyone related by blood or marriage. It also includes people who have, or are said to have, a child together, and people connected through a shared child.
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