(a) A person commits the offense of bribery of a witness if that person:

(1) Corruptly offers, gives, or agrees to give to another person; or

(2) Corruptly solicits, demands, accepts, or agrees to accept from another person;

anything of value in return for an agreement or understanding that the testimony of the recipient will be influenced in an official proceeding before any court of the District of Columbia or any agency or department of the District of Columbia government, or that the recipient will absent himself or herself from such proceedings.

(b) Nothing in subsection (a) of this section shall be construed to prohibit the payment or receipt of witness fees provided by law, or the payment by the party upon whose behalf a witness is called and receipt by a witness of a reasonable cost of travel and subsistence incurred and the reasonable value of time lost in attendance at any such proceeding, or, in case of expert witnesses, a reasonable fee for time spent in the preparation of a technical or professional opinion and appearing and testifying.

(c) Any person convicted of bribery of a witness shall be fined not more than the amount set forth in § 22-3571.01 or imprisoned for not more than 5 years, or both.

(Dec. 1, 1982, D.C. Law 4-164, § 303, 29 DCR 3976; June 11, 2013, D.C. Law 19-317, § 205(w), 60 DCR 2064.)

1981 Ed., § 22-713.

The 2013 amendment by D.C. Law 19-317 substituted “not more than the amount set forth in § 22-3571.01” for “not more than $2,500” in (c).

Obstruction of justice, see § 22-722.

For temporary (90 days) amendment of this section, see § 205(w) of the Criminal Fine Proportionality Emergency Act of 2013 (D.C. Act 20-45, April 1, 2013, 60 DCR 5400, 20 DCSTAT 1300).

Applicability of D.C. Law 19-317: Section 401 of D.C. Law 19-317 provided that the act shall apply only to offenses committed on or after June 11, 2013.