Senate Bill 2687

AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 97-11-33, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO CREATE THE CRIME OF ACCEPTING ANYTHING OF VALUE FROM A BAIL AGENT FOR CERTAIN EMPLOYEES AND OFFICIALS OF THE LAW ENFORCEMENT AND JUSTICE SYSTEMS; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

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

SECTION 1. Section 97-11-33, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:

97-11-33. (1) If any judge, justice court judge, sheriff, deputy sheriff, sheriff's employee, constable, assessor, collector, clerk, county medical examiner, county medical examiner investigator, employee of the Mississippi Department of Corrections, employee of any contractor providing incarceration services or any other officer, shall knowingly demand, take or collect, under color of his office, any money fee or reward whatever, not authorized by law, or shall demand and receive, knowingly, any fee for service not actually performed, such officer, so offending, shall be guilty of extortion, and, on conviction, shall be punished by fine not exceeding Five Thousand Dollars ($5,000.00), or imprisonment for not more than five (5) years, or both, and shall be removed from office.

(2) Any jailer, law enforcement officer, employee of a law enforcement agency or court, employee or agent of an independent contractor of a law enforcement agency or court, or any trusty or inmate who takes anything of value from a bail agent or a person impersonating a bail agent, other than things provided uniformly to all persons similarly employed, shall be guilty of extortion and punished as provided in subsection (1) of this section.

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2005.