CHAPTER 720
INTERFERENCE WITH JUDICIAL PROCESS

Referred to in §331.307, 364.22, 701.1, 901C.3, 914.5

  
     
720.1  Compounding a felony.
  A person having knowledge of the commission by another of a felony indictable in this state who receives any consideration for a promise to conceal such crime, or not to prosecute or aid or give evidence to the prosecution of such crime, compounds that felony. Compounding any felony is an aggravated misdemeanor.
[C51, §2659, 2660; R60, §4286, 4287; C73, §3951, 3952; C97, §4889, 4890; C24, 27, 31, 35, 39, §13168, 13169; C46, 50, 54, 58, 62, 66, 71, 73, 75, 77, §722.1, 722.2; C79, 81, §720.1]

     
720.2  Perjury, contradictory statements, and retraction.
  A person who, while under oath or affirmation in any proceeding or other matter in which statements under oath or affirmation are required or authorized by law, knowingly makes a false statement of material facts or who falsely denies knowledge of material facts, commits a class “D” felony. Where, while under oath or affirmation, in the same proceeding or different proceedings where oath or affirmation is required, a person has made contradictory statements, the indictment will be sufficient if it states that one or the other of the contradictory statements was false, to the knowledge of such person, and it shall be sufficient proof of perjury that one of the statements must be false, and that the person making the statements knew that one of them was false when the person made the statement, provided that both statements have been made within the period prescribed by the applicable statute of limitations. No person shall be guilty of perjury if the person retracts the false statement in the course of the proceedings where it was made before the false statement has substantially affected the proceeding.
[C51, §2644; R60, §4271; C73, §3936; C97, §4872; S13, §4919-c; C24, 27, 31, 35, 39, §13165, 13290; C46, 50, 54, 58, 62, 66, 71, 73, 75, 77, §721.1, 738.28; C79, 81, §720.2]
Referred to in §214A.11, 501.103, 610.5
See also §714.8(3) 

     
720.3  Suborning perjury.
  A person who procures or offers any inducement to another to make a statement under oath or affirmation in any proceeding or other matter in which statements under oath or affirmation are required or authorized, with the intent that such person will make a false statement, or who procures or offers any inducement to one who the person reasonably believes will be called upon for a statement in any such proceeding or matter, to conceal material facts known to such person, commits a class “D” felony.
[C51, §2645, 2646; R60, §4272, 4273; C73, §3937, 3938; C97, §4873, 4874; C24, 27, 31, 35, 39, §13166, 13167; C46, 50, 54, 58, 62, 66, 71, 73, 75, 77, §721.2, 721.3; C79, 81, §720.3]

     
720.4  Tampering with witnesses or jurors.
  A person who offers any bribe to any person who the offeror believes has been or may be summoned as a witness or juror in any judicial or arbitration proceeding, or any legislative hearing, or who makes any threats toward such person or who forcibly or fraudulently detains or restrains such person, with the intent to improperly influence such witness or juror with respect to the witness’ or juror’s testimony or decision in such case, or to prevent such person from testifying or serving in such case, or who, in retaliation for anything lawfully done by any witness or juror in any case, harasses such witness or juror, commits an aggravated misdemeanor.
[C51, §2646, 2652, 2654; R60, §4273, 4279, 4281; C73, §3938, 3944, 3946; C97, §4874, 4880, 4882; C24, 27, 31, 35, 39, §13167, 13172, 13297; C46, 50, 54, 58, 62, 66, 71, 73, 75, 77, §721.3, 723.1, 739.6; C79, 81, §720.4]
Referred to in §723A.1

     
720.5  False representation of records or process.
  Any person who represents any document or paper to be any public record or any civil or criminal process, when the person knows such representation to be false, commits a simple misdemeanor.
[C51, §2627; R60, §4254; C73, §3918; C97, §4854; C24, 27, 31, 35, 39, §13140; C46, 50, 54, 58, 62, §718.2; C66, 71, 73, 75, 77, §713.43, 718.2; C79, 81, §720.5]

     
720.6  Malicious prosecution.
  A person who causes or attempts to cause another to be indicted or prosecuted for any public offense, having no reasonable grounds for believing that the person committed the offense commits a serious misdemeanor.
[C51, §2757; R60, §4407; C73, §4086; C97, §5058; C24, 27, 31, 35, 39, §13163; C46, 50, 54, 58, 62, 66, 71, 73, 75, 77, §719.2; C79, 81, §720.6]

     
720.7  Interference with judicial acts — penalty.
  1.  As used in this section:
  a.  “Court employee” means the same as defined in section 602.1101.
  b.  “Family member” means a spouse, son, daughter, brother, sister, uncle, aunt, first cousin, nephew, niece, grandfather, grandmother, father-in-law, mother-in-law, son-in-law, daughter-in-law, brother-in-law, sister-in-law, father, mother, stepfather, stepmother, stepson, stepdaughter, stepbrother, stepsister, half brother, or half sister.
  c.  “Judicial officer” means the same as defined in section 602.1101.
  2.  A person who harasses a judicial officer, court employee, or a family member of a judicial officer or a court employee in violation of section 708.7, with the intent to interfere with or improperly influence, or in retaliation for, the official acts of a judicial officer or court employee, commits an aggravated misdemeanor.
2009 Acts, ch 77, §1