Witness intimidation

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Witness intimidation involves witnesses crucial to court proceedings being threatened in order to pressure or extort them not to testify. The refusal of key witnesses to testify commonly renders a case with inadequate physical evidence void in a court of law. This is a significant problem that has many lawmakers considering tough penalties for intimidating a witness; in the state of Kansas, it is a criminal misdemeanor, or, if found to be aggravated, a felony.

In the United Kingdom, witness intimidation is covered by Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994: section 51. Under this act it is an offence to perform an act which is intended to and does intimidate a person who the offender knows or believes to be involved with a criminal case with the intention of disturbing the proceedings.

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