Can a defendant who makes a threat to kill a witness or crime victim under section 139, subd. 139, make a specific intent crime?

California, United States of America


The following excerpt is from People v. McDaniel, 22 Cal.App.4th 278, 27 Cal.Rptr.2d 306 (Cal. App. 1994):

The underlying purpose of the threat in section 139, threats of force or violence against a witness or crime victim, is "to cause the target of the threat to reasonably fear for his or her safety or the safety of his or her immediate family." ( 139, subd. (c).) The communication of the threat is the act and the intent to create a future or additional consequence is the intent to cause the victim to feel fear or intimidation. (People v. Dollar, supra, 228 Cal.App.3d 1335, 1341, 279 Cal.Rptr. 502.) Thus section 139 has been held, under the Hood analysis, to have the

Page 309

Section 136.1 proscribes preventing or dissuading a witness or victim from testifying or doing other enumerated acts. Unless the defendant's acts or statements are intended to affect or influence a potential witness' or victim's testimony or acts, no crime has been committed under this section. (People v. Ford, supra, 145 Cal.App.3d 985, 989, 193 Cal.Rptr. 684.) Since the definition refers to a defendant's intent to achieve some further or additional consequence, section 136.1 is a specific intent crime. (Id., at p. 990, 193 Cal.Rptr. 684.)

Other Questions


Does a defendant who points a gun at the victim's head and makes a conditional threat to shoot the victim if he refuses to leave, constitute assault by conditional threat? (California, United States of America)
Can a defendant who makes a threat to set fire to a building where the victim works after making the threat? (California, United States of America)
Is it a crime to intentionally make a threat under section 422 of the California Criminal Code to commit a crime which will result in death or great bodily injury to another person? (California, United States of America)
When a defendant admits committing a crime but denies the necessary intent for the charged crime because of mistake or accident, is intent to commit the crime admissible? (California, United States of America)
Is a jury's instruction that a crime requires specific intent not specific intent invalidating a defendant's due process under the US Constitution? (California, United States of America)
Can a defendant who made a threat to set fire to a building after making the threat, setting fire to the victim's workplace after the threat was made? (California, United States of America)
Can a defendant who has been given a life sentence for an assault with intent to murder be convicted of the crime under section 12022(a) of the Penal Code section 120 22(b) and section 5.5 of the Criminal Code? (California, United States of America)
Can a defendant who commits the crime of grand theft auto in violation of section 487, subdivision (d) of section 666.5 of the California Criminal Code, be convicted of the crime? (California, United States of America)
What authority does a defendant have to make an election to determine whether a defendant should be charged with making terrorist threats? (California, United States of America)
Is discovered a crime discovered when either the victim or law enforcement learns of facts which, if investigated with reasonable diligence, would make the victim aware of the crime? (California, United States of America)
X



Alexi white


"The most advanced legal research software ever built."

Trusted by top litigators from across North America.