GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA

SESSION 2011

SENATE BILL 268

RATIFIED BILL

AN ACT to create enhanced protections for victims and witnesses by increasing the criminal penalty for the offense of intimidating or interfering with a witness.

The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:

SECTION 1.  G.S. 14-226(a) reads as rewritten:

"(a)       If any person shall by threats, menaces or in any other manner intimidate or attempt to intimidate any person who is summoned or acting as a witness in any of the courts of this State, or prevent or deter, or attempt to prevent or deter any person summoned or acting as such witness from attendance upon such court, he the person shall be guilty of a Class H felony.Class G felony."

SECTION 2.  This act becomes effective December 1, 2011, and applies to offenses committed on or after that date.

In the General Assembly read three times and ratified this the 18^th day of June, 2011.

                                                                        _____________________________________

                                                                         Philip E. Berger

                                                                         President Pro Tempore of the Senate

                                                                        _____________________________________

                                                                         Thom Tillis

                                                                         Speaker of the House of Representatives

                                                                        _____________________________________

                                                                         Beverly E. Perdue

                                                                         Governor

Approved __________.m. this ______________ day of ___________________, 2011