THE MICHIGAN PENAL CODE (EXCERPT) Act 328 of 1931
750.149 Compounding or concealing offense; penalty. Sec. 149.
Any person having knowledge of the commission of any offense punishable with death, or by imprisonment in the state prison, who shall take any money, or any gratuity or reward, or any engagement therefor, upon an agreement or understanding, express or implied, to compound or conceal such offense, or not to prosecute therefor, or not to give evidence thereof, shall, when such offense of which he or she has knowledge was punishable with death, or imprisonment in the state prison for life, is guilty of a felony; and where the offense, of which he or she so had knowledge, was punishable in any other manner, he or she is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for not more than 1 year or a fine of not more than $1,000.00.
History: 1931, Act 328, Eff. Sept. 18, 1931 ;-- CL 1948, 750.149 ;-- Am. 2002, Act 672, Eff. Mar. 31, 2003 Former Law: See section 20 of Ch. 156 of R.S. 1846, being CL 1857, § 5839; CL 1871, § 7672; How., § 9254; CL 1897, § 11324; CL 1915, § 14991; and CL 1929, § 16582.
Understanding Michigan Law on Concealing Offenses: Section 750.149 of the Michigan Penal Code Simplified
Section 750.149 of the Michigan Penal Code deals with penalties for those who try to conceal an offense or agree not to prosecute or provide evidence for an offense in exchange for money, a reward, or any form of gratuity. Here's a simplified interpretation:
Anyone who knows about the commission of a serious offense (one that is punishable by death or imprisonment in the state prison) and takes money, a reward, or any form of payment with the understanding - whether it's stated outright or implied - that they will conceal this offense, not prosecute it, or not give evidence of it, is guilty of a crime.
The severity of this crime depends on the severity of the original offense that they're concealing:
- Felony: If the offense they're aware of could be punished by death or life in prison, then they're guilty of a felony, which is a serious crime.
- Misdemeanor: If the offense they're aware of is punishable in any other way, they're guilty of a misdemeanor, which is a lesser crime. The penalty for this misdemeanor can be imprisonment for up to 1 year, a fine of up to $1,000, or both.
In simpler terms, this law means that if someone knows about a serious crime and agrees to hide it, not press charges, or not provide evidence in exchange for some sort of reward, they themselves can be charged with a crime. The severity of their punishment depends on the seriousness of the original crime.