Senate Bill 2585

(COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE)

AN ACT TO CREATE THE OFFENSE OF MAKING A TERRORISTIC THREAT; TO DEFINE THE ELEMENTS OF THE OFFENSE; TO PROVIDE THAT MAKING A TERRORISTIC THREAT IS A FELONY PUNISHABLE BY IMPRISONMENT NOT TO EXCEED 10 YEARS; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI:

SECTION 1. (1) (a) A person commits the offense of making a terroristic threat when the person threatens to commit a crime of violence or other act dangerous to human life or threatens to burn or damage property if the person has the intent to:

(i) Intimidate or coerce a civilian population;

(ii) Influence the policy of a unit of government by intimidation or coercion;

(iii) Affect the conduct of a unit of government, educational institution, business or segment of the civilian population by intimidation or coercion or cause a reaction to the threat by an official or volunteer agency organized to deal with emergencies;

(iv) Impair or interrupt public communications, public transportation, public water, gas, power supply or other public service; or

(v) Place the public or a substantial group of the public in fear of serious bodily injury.

(b) It may be a defense to a prosecution under this section that at the time the defendant made the terroristic threat, the defendant did not have the intent to actually commit the specified offense or did not communicate a time or precise manner of execution.

(2) A person convicted of the offense of making a terroristic threat is guilty of a felony punishable by imprisonment in the custody of the Mississippi Department of Corrections for not more than ten (10) years.

(3) A person may not be convicted under this section on the uncorroborated testimony of the party to whom the threat is communicated.

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2018, and shall stand repealed from and after June 30, 2018.