September 22, 2009 - Introduced by Representatives Gundrum, Mason, Suder,
Berceau, Petrowski, Cullen, Knodl, Gunderson, LeMahieu, A. Ott, Brooks,
Townsend, Lothian, Bies
and Nass, cosponsored by Senators Hopper and
Harsdorf. Referred to Committee on Judiciary and Ethics.
AB422,1,7 1An Act to renumber 940.203 (1) (a); to amend 301.048 (2) (bm) 1. a., 939.31,
2939.632 (1) (e) 3., 940.203 (title), 940.203 (2) (intro.), 940.203 (2) (a), 940.203 (2)
3(b), 941.291 (1) (b), 971.37 (1m) (a) 2. and 973.055 (1) (a) 1.; and to create 939.22
4(21) (er), 939.22 (21) (kL), 940.203 (1) (ag), 940.41 (1d), 940.435, 941.38 (1) (b)
55r. and 941.38 (1) (b) 11m. of the statutes; relating to: battery, intimidation,
6or threats to a district attorney, deputy district attorney, or assistant district
7attorney and providing a penalty.
Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
Under current law, no one may intentionally cause or threaten bodily harm to
a judge or a member of a judge's family if the person knows that the person harmed
or threatened is a judge or a family member of the judge, and the person who causes
or threatens harm does so while the judge is acting in his or her official capacity or
as a response to an official action by the judge. A person who does so is guilty of a
Class H felony and may be fined not more than $10,000, imprisoned for not more than
six years, or both.
This bill attaches the same penalty to a person who knowingly causes or
threatens bodily harm to a district attorney or a member of a district attorney's
family while the district attorney is acting in an official capacity or as a response to
an official action by the district attorney. The bill defines district attorney to include

any person authorized to prosecute a criminal case or a delinquency petition, or his
or her designee.
Under current law, no one may intimidate a witness or a victim in an effort to
prevent the witness or victim from reporting or cooperating in the prosecution of a
crime. Anyone who intimidates a witness or a victim is guilty of a Class A
misdemeanor and may be fined not more than $10,000, imprisoned for not more than
nine months, or both. If the person who intimidates a witness or victim acts in
furtherance of a conspiracy, for monetary gain, or injures or harms the property of
the victim or witness, the person is guilty of a Class G felony, and may be fined not
more than $25,000, imprisoned for not more than ten years, or both.
This bill attaches the same penalties to a person who intimidates a district
attorney in an effort to prevent the district attorney from prosecuting a crime.
Because this bill creates a new crime or revises a penalty for an existing crime,
the Joint Review Committee on Criminal Penalties may be requested to prepare a
report concerning the proposed penalty and the costs or savings that are likely to
result if the bill is enacted.
The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do
enact as follows:
AB422, s. 1 1Section 1. 301.048 (2) (bm) 1. a. of the statutes is amended to read:
AB422,2,102 301.048 (2) (bm) 1. a. A crime specified in s. 940.19 (3), 1999 stats., s. 940.195
3(3), 1999 stats., s. 943.23 (1m), 1999 stats., or s. 943.23 (1r), 1999 stats., or s. 940.01,
4940.02, 940.03, 940.05, 940.06, 940.08, 940.09, 940.10, 940.19 (4) or (5), 940.195 (4)
5or (5), 940.20, 940.201, 940.203, 940.21, 940.225 (1) to (3), 940.23, 940.285 (2) (a) 1.
6or 2., 940.29, 940.295 (3) (b) 1g., 1m., 1r., 2., or 3., 940.31, 940.43 (1) to (3), 940.435
7(2) (a) to (c),
940.45 (1) to (3), 941.20 (2) or (3), 941.26, 941.30, 941.327, 943.01 (2) (c),
8943.011, 943.013, 943.02, 943.04, 943.06, 943.10 (2), 943.23 (1g), 943.30, 943.32,
9946.43, 947.015, 948.02 (1) or (2), 948.025, 948.03, 948.04, 948.05, 948.051, 948.06,
10948.07, 948.08, 948.085, or 948.30.
AB422, s. 2 11Section 2. 939.22 (21) (er) of the statutes is created to read:
AB422,2,1312 939.22 (21) (er) Battery or threat to a judge or district attorney, as prohibited
13in s. 940.203.
AB422, s. 3
1Section 3. 939.22 (21) (kL) of the statutes is created to read:
AB422,3,22 939.22 (21) (kL) Intimidation of a district attorney, as prohibited in s. 940.435.
AB422, s. 4 3Section 4. 939.31 of the statutes is amended to read:
AB422,3,10 4939.31 Conspiracy. Except as provided in ss. 940.43 (4), 940.435, 940.45 (4)
5and 961.41 (1x), whoever, with intent that a crime be committed, agrees or combines
6with another for the purpose of committing that crime may, if one or more of the
7parties to the conspiracy does an act to effect its object, be fined or imprisoned or both
8not to exceed the maximum provided for the completed crime; except that for a
9conspiracy to commit a crime for which the penalty is life imprisonment, the actor
10is guilty of a Class B felony.
AB422, s. 5 11Section 5. 939.632 (1) (e) 3. of the statutes is amended to read:
AB422,3,1312 939.632 (1) (e) 3. Any misdemeanor under s. 940.19 (1), 940.225 (3m), 940.32
13(2), 940.42, 940.435, 940.44, 941.20 (1), 941.23, 941.235, 941.24 or 941.38 (3).
AB422, s. 6 14Section 6. 940.203 (title) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB422,3,15 15940.203 (title) Battery or threat to judge or district attorney.
AB422, s. 7 16Section 7. 940.203 (1) (a) of the statutes, as affected by 2009 Wisconsin Act 28,
17is renumbered 940.203 (1) (am).
AB422, s. 8 18Section 8. 940.203 (1) (ag) of the statutes is created to read:
AB422,3,1919 940.203 (1) (ag) "District attorney" has the meaning given in s. 950.02 (2m).
AB422, s. 9 20Section 9. 940.203 (2) (intro.) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB422,3,2321 940.203 (2) (intro.) Whoever intentionally causes bodily harm or threatens to
22cause bodily harm to the person or family member of any judge or district attorney
23under all of the following circumstances is guilty of a Class H felony:
AB422, s. 10 24Section 10. 940.203 (2) (a) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB422,4,3
1940.203 (2) (a) At the time of the act or threat, the actor knows or should have
2known that the victim is a judge or a district attorney or a family member of his or
3her family
a judge or a district attorney.
AB422, s. 11 4Section 11. 940.203 (2) (b) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB422,4,75 940.203 (2) (b) The judge or district attorney is acting in an official capacity at
6the time of the act or threat or the act or threat is in response to any action taken in
7an official capacity.
AB422, s. 12 8Section 12. 940.41 (1d) of the statutes is created to read:
AB422,4,99 940.41 (1d) "District attorney" has the meaning given in s. 950.02 (2m).
AB422, s. 13 10Section 13. 940.435 of the statutes is created to read:
AB422,4,13 11940.435 Intimidation of a district attorney. (1) Except as provided in sub.
12(2), whoever knowingly and maliciously prevents or dissuades a district attorney
13from prosecuting a crime is guilty of a Class A misdemeanor.
AB422,4,16 14(2) Whoever knowingly and maliciously prevents or dissuades a district
15attorney from prosecuting a crime under any of the following circumstances is guilty
16of a Class G felony:
AB422,4,1917 (a) Where the act is accompanied by force or violence or attempted force or
18violence, upon the district attorney, or the spouse, child, stepchild, foster child,
19treatment foster child, parent, sibling, or grandchild of the district attorney.
AB422,4,2120 (b) Where the act is accompanied by injury or damage to the real or personal
21property of any person covered under par. (a).
AB422,4,2322 (c) Where the act is accompanied by any express or implied threat of force,
23violence, injury, or damage described in par. (a) or (b).
AB422,4,2424 (d) Where the act is in furtherance of any conspiracy.
AB422,5,4
1(e) Where the act is committed by any person who has suffered any prior
2conviction for any violation under s. 943.30, 1979 stats., ss. 940.42 to 940.45, or any
3federal statute or statute of any other state which, if the act prosecuted was
4committed in this state, would be a violation under ss. 940.42 to 940.45.
AB422,5,75 (f) Where the act is committed by any person for monetary gain or for any other
6consideration acting on the request of any other person. All parties to the
7transactions are guilty under this section.
AB422, s. 14 8Section 14. 941.291 (1) (b) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB422,5,199 941.291 (1) (b) "Violent felony" means any felony, or the solicitation, conspiracy,
10or attempt to commit any felony, under s. 943.23 (1m) or (1r), 1999 stats., or s. 940.01,
11940.02, 940.03, 940.05, 940.06, 940.08, 940.09, 940.10, 940.19, 940.195, 940.20,
12940.201, 940.203, 940.21, 940.225, 940.23, 940.285 (2), 940.29, 940.295 (3), 940.30,
13940.305, 940.31, 940.43 (1) to (3), 940.435 (2) (a) to (c), 940.45 (1) to (3), 941.20,
14941.26, 941.28, 941.29, 941.30, 941.327, 943.01 (2) (c), 943.011, 943.013, 943.02,
15943.04, 943.06, 943.10 (2), 943.23 (1g), 943.32, 943.81, 943.82, 943.83, 943.85,
16943.86, 943.87, 943.88, 943.89, 943.90, 946.43, 947.015, 948.02 (1) or (2), 948.025,
17948.03, 948.04, 948.05, 948.06, 948.07, 948.08, 948.085, or 948.30; or, if the victim is
18a financial institution, as defined in s. 943.80 (2), a felony, or the solicitation,
19conspiracy, or attempt to commit a felony under s. 943.84 (1) or (2).
AB422, s. 15 20Section 15. 941.38 (1) (b) 5r. of the statutes is created to read:
AB422,5,2221 941.38 (1) (b) 5r. Battery or threat to a judge or district attorney, as prohibited
22in s. 940.403.
AB422, s. 16 23Section 16. 941.38 (1) (b) 11m. of the statutes is created to read:
AB422,5,2524 941.38 (1) (b) 11m. Intimidation of a district attorney, as prohibited in s.
25940.435.
AB422, s. 17
1Section 17. 971.37 (1m) (a) 2. of the statutes is amended to read:
AB422,6,82 971.37 (1m) (a) 2. An adult accused of or charged with a criminal violation of
3s. 940.19, 940.20 (1m), 940.201, 940.225, 940.23, 940.285, 940.30, 940.42, 940.43,
4940.435, 940.44, 940.45, 940.48, 941.20, 941.30, 943.01, 943.011, 943.14, 943.15,
5946.49, 947.01, 947.012 or 947.0125 and the conduct constituting the violation
6involved an act by the adult person against his or her spouse or former spouse,
7against an adult with whom the adult person resides or formerly resided or against
8an adult with whom the adult person has created a child.
AB422, s. 18 9Section 18. 973.055 (1) (a) 1. of the statutes is amended to read:
AB422,6,1610 973.055 (1) (a) 1. The court convicts the person of a violation of a crime specified
11in s. 940.01, 940.02, 940.03, 940.05, 940.06, 940.19, 940.20 (1m), 940.201, 940.21,
12940.225, 940.23, 940.235, 940.285, 940.30, 940.305, 940.31, 940.42, 940.43, 940.435,
13940.44, 940.45, 940.48, 941.20, 941.30, 943.01, 943.011, 943.14, 943.15, 946.49,
14947.01, 947.012 or 947.0125 or of a municipal ordinance conforming to s. 940.201,
15941.20, 941.30, 943.01, 943.011, 943.14, 943.15, 946.49, 947.01, 947.012 or 947.0125;
16and
AB422,6,1717 (End)
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