California Penal Code 137 A
Are you facing charges for Bribery of Witness Regarding Testimony? Violation of Penal Code 137 a can be a serious felony offense. If you receive a felony conviction on your record, you could be restricted from certain employment and other financial opportunities. If you have a previous criminal history, you could face several years in prison and thousands of dollars in fines.
Let our white collar attorney in Orange County help guide you through the legal process. They offer free case evaluations and consultation for anyone facing bribery charges and can help you better understand your charges as well as your potential penalties.
Penal Code 137 A Defined
According to California Penal Code 137a, anyone who willfully influences a witness’ testimony through bribery can be found guilty of this crime. This penal code refers to testimonies that are given both in court or to a police officer. Bribery in this instance is the act of dishonestly altering a testimony of a witness for money or something valuable. The person who accepts and the person who offers can both be found guilty of PC 137 A.
In order for California state prosecutors to successfully convict you of bribing a witness, they would need to provide sufficient evidence that you intentionally offered a witness money or valuables to dishonestly manipulate their testimony.
The following could be considered an example of bribing a witness to influence their testimony:
Rachel has a DUI trial coming up in which the evidence is not in her favor. She goes online and, after several hours researching, is able to locate the officer who arrested her and sends him a friend request. He accepts and Rachel asks him to meet her at a bar. Once at the bar, Rachel explains to the officer who she is and why they know each other and then offers him whatever he wants to not testify against her at trial. The officer reports the incident and Rachel now faces new charges on top of her DUI offense that include a violation of PC 137 A.
Another offense similar to this is PC 138a which governs bribing of a witness regarding trial attendance.
Penalties for Bribery in California
Bribery of Witness Regarding Testimony is a felony, punishable by:
- 4 Years in a California State Prison
If you are facing Bribery of Witness Regarding Testimony charges for California Penal Code Section 137 a, our attorneys can help. Randy Collins and Ronald MacGregor have decades of experience assisting Southern Californians facing a wide variety of different offenses, including PC 137 A. They will be able to evaluate your case and help you determine which option is in your best interest moving forward. Call 844-285-9559 to receive a free case evaluation from experienced Orange County criminal attorneys.