GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA

SESSION 2011

SESSION LAW 2011-190

SENATE BILL 268

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.

                                                                    s/  Philip E. Berger

                                                                         President Pro Tempore of the Senate

                                                                    s/  Thom Tillis

                                                                         Speaker of the House of Representatives

                                                                    s/  Beverly E. Perdue

                                                                         Governor

Approved 10:37 a.m. this 23^rd day of June, 2011