§ 3001. Impeding public officers
(a) A person who hinders an executive, judicial, law enforcement, civil, or military officer
acting under the authority of this State or any subdivision thereof, or who removes
a weapon from the person of a law enforcement officer, or who deprives a law enforcement
officer of the use of a weapon, shall be imprisoned not more than three years or fined
not more than $500.00, or both. For purposes of this section, law enforcement officer
is defined under section 3019 of this title.
(b) As used in this section, “weapon” means any device, instrument, material, or substance,
whether animate or inanimate, excluding a firearm as defined in section 3019 of this title, which, in the manner it is used or is intended to be used, is known to be capable
of producing death, serious bodily injury, or temporary disability. (Amended 1971, No. 199 (Adj. Sess.), § 15; 1979, No. 111 (Adj. Sess.); 1999, No. 149 (Adj. Sess.), § 2.)
§ 3002. Impersonation of officer
A person who impersonates or attempts to impersonate a sheriff, deputy sheriff, constable,
police officer, fish and game warden, or any other State, county, or town officer
shall:
(1) for the first offense, be imprisoned not more than six months or fined not more than
$500.00, or both;
(2) for the second offense and subsequent offenses, be imprisoned not more than two years
or fined not more than $1,000.00, or both. (Amended 1981, No. 223 (Adj. Sess.), § 23; 1995, No. 146 (Adj. Sess.), § 2.)
§ 3003. Witness refusing to appear before grand jury
A person legally summoned to appear before the grand jury to give evidence of what
he or she knows in regard to all matters of complaint pending and to be investigated
before such jury, who willfully and wrongfully refuses to attend and testify, shall
be imprisoned not more than six months or fined not more than $100.00 nor less than
$10.00, or both.
§ 3004. Costs on negotiable paper sued in name of trustee
A person having a negotiable note or other instrument assigned for collection who
prosecutes the same in the name of the assignee and thereupon recovers and takes more
costs than would have been recoverable in case the note or other instrument had been
sued in the name of the person to whom it was originally given shall be fined $20.00.
§ 3005. Transfer of trusteed note not due
A holder of a note or bill of exchange not due, who, after he or she has notice that
a copy of a trustee writ has been served on the trustee, sells, transfers, or assigns
such note or bill without fully informing the purchaser thereof and with intent to
defeat such process, shall be imprisoned not more than one year or fined not more
than $500.00, or both.
§ 3006. Neglect of duty by public officers
A State, county, town, village, fire district, or school district officer who willfully
neglects to perform the duties imposed upon him or her by law, either express or implied,
shall be imprisoned not more than one year or fined not more than $1,000.00, or both.
§ 3007. Neglect of duty by members of boards and commissions
When a duty, express or implied, is imposed by law upon a board or commission, any
member thereof may, for any willful neglect of such duty on his or her part, be accused,
tried, and punished separately as provided in section 3006 of this title.
§ 3008. Application of two preceding sections
Sections 3006 and 3007 of this title shall not be construed as affecting a statute providing a punishment for a specific
neglect or omission of duty on the part of a public officer nor as covering the offenses
penalized by such special provisions of law.
§ 3009. Refusing or delaying to execute criminal process
An officer authorized to serve process who willfully and corruptly refuses to execute
a lawful process, to him or her directed, and requiring him or her to apprehend or
confine a person convicted or charged with an offense, or willfully and corruptly
omits or delays to execute such process, by reason whereof such person escapes and
goes at large, shall be fined not more than $500.00.
§ 3010. Taking illegal fees
An officer, or other person authorized to serve civil process, shall not receive any
fee, commission, or other thing of value, for or on account of anything done by him
or her concerning such civil process in his or her hands for service or its underlying
cause of action, except the statutory fees for the service of such process. A person
violating a provision of this section shall be fined not more than $100.00.
§ 3011. Officers in charge of jury
An officer, sworn to take charge of a jury impaneled by the Superior Court for the
trial of a cause, who, after they have been charged by the court, suffers a person
to speak to them upon matters submitted to their charge, or speaks to them himself
or herself about the same, except to ask if they are agreed upon a verdict, before
they deliver their verdict in court, or are discharged, shall be fined not more than
$500.00. The constable or other person having charge of a jury impaneled by a Justice,
who in like manner offends, shall be fined not more than $200.00. (Amended 1965, No. 194, § 10; 1973, No. 193 (Adj. Sess.), § 3; eff. April 9, 1974; 2009, No. 154 (Adj. Sess.), § 99.)
§ 3012. Agreement to enhance costs
A person who agrees with an officer having an execution for collection, for the delay
of such execution so that another action and another bill of costs may be had on the
same demand, or makes a contract for the payment of costs upon such delay without
suit, shall be fined $60.00.
§ 3013. Multiplying actions
A person who directs an officer having an execution against several debtors to commit
such debtors at different times for the purpose of obtaining separate jail bonds,
that he or she may commence more than one action for the same demand, and commences
more than one action upon the same, or purchases or procures to be purchased a note
or other demand, for the purpose of putting the same in suit, when otherwise the owner
or holder thereof would not sue the same, shall be fined $60.00, and, if an attorney,
shall not be permitted to practice in any court until restored by order of the Supreme
Court.
§ 3014. Use of police broadcasts in furthering crime
A person who owns or operates a motor vehicle equipped with a radio receiving set
capable of receiving signals on the frequencies allocated for police use who knowingly
and without privilege makes use of any information that has been broadcast on local
or State police radio frequencies for the purpose of furthering crime or aiding and
abetting the flight of criminals shall be fined not more than $250.00 or imprisoned
not more than 30 days, or both. (Added 1961, No. 260.)
§ 3015. Obstruction of justice
Whoever corruptly, or by threats or force, or by any threatening letter or communication,
intimidates or impedes any witness, grand or petit juror, or officer in or of any
court or agency, in a contested case, of the State of Vermont, or causes bodily injury
to such person or intentionally damages the property of such person on account of
such person’s attendance at, deliberation at, or performance of his or her official
duties in connection with a matter already heard, presently being heard or to be heard
before any court or agency, in a contested case, of the State of Vermont, or corruptly
or by threats or force or by any threatening letter or communication, obstructs or
impedes, or endeavors to obstruct or impede the due administration of justice, shall
be imprisoned not more than five years or fined not more than $5,000.00, or both.
For the purposes of this section, “agency” and “contested case” shall have the meanings
set forth in 3 V.S.A. § 801(b). (Added 1977, No. 203 (Adj. Sess.); amended 2005, No. 148 (Adj. Sess.), § 4d.)
§ 3016. False claim
(a) A person shall not, in any matter within the jurisdiction of a supervisory union school
district or of any commission, board, department, or agency of the State or a county
or municipality, with intent to defraud, falsify, conceal, or cover up by any trick,
scheme, or device a material fact, or with intent to defraud make any false, fictitious,
or fraudulent claim or representation as to a material fact, or with intent to defraud
make or use any writing or document knowing the same to contain any false, fictitious,
or fraudulent claim or entry as to a material fact.
(b) A person who violates this section shall, if the prohibited act results in no loss
to a governmental entity or benefit to the person or results in a loss to a governmental
entity or benefit to the person of less than $500.00 in value, be imprisoned not more
than two years or fined not more than $5,000.00, or both. A person who violates this
section shall, if the prohibited act results in a loss to any governmental entity
or a benefit to the person of $500.00 or more in value, whether by a single act or
by a common scheme or course of conduct involving one or more transactions, be imprisoned
not more than five years or fined not more than $10,000.00, or both.
(c) A person who commits an act punishable under 33 V.S.A. § 141(a) or (b) may not be prosecuted under this section. (Added 1987, No. 48, § 6; amended 2023, No. 46, § 11, eff. June 5, 2023.)
§ 3017. Resisting arrest
(a) A person who intentionally attempts to prevent a lawful arrest on himself or herself,
which is being effected or attempted by a law enforcement officer, when it would reasonably
appear that the latter is a law enforcement officer, shall:
(1) for the first offense, be imprisoned not more than one year or fined not more than
$500.00, or both;
(2) for the second offense and subsequent offenses, be imprisoned not more than two years
or fined not more than $1,000.00, or both.
(b) A defendant’s mistaken belief in the unlawfulness of the arrest shall not be a defense
to a prosecution under this section.
(c) A person may not be convicted of both an escape from lawful custody, as defined in
subdivision 1501(a)(2) of this title, and a violation of this section. (Added 1995, No. 146 (Adj. Sess.), § 3.)
§ 3018. Hindering arrest
A person who intentionally hinders an arrest of another, which arrest is being effected
or attempted by a law enforcement officer, when it would reasonably appear that the
latter is a law enforcement officer, shall:
(1) for the first offense, be imprisoned not more than one year or fined not more than
$500.00, or both;
(2) for the second offense and subsequent offenses, be imprisoned not more than two years
or fined not more than $1,000.00, or both. (Added 1995, No. 146 (Adj. Sess.), § 4.)
§ 3019. Disarming a law enforcement officer
(a) As used in this section:
(1) “Firearm” means any weapon, whether loaded or unloaded, that will expel a projectile
by the action of an explosive, and includes any weapon commonly referred to as a pistol,
revolver, rifle, gun, machine gun, or shotgun.
(2) “Law enforcement officer” means:
(A) a person certified by the Vermont Criminal Justice Council as having satisfactorily
completed the approved training programs required to meet the minimum training standards
applicable to that person pursuant to 20 V.S.A. § 2358;
(B) a constable who has not been prohibited from exercising law enforcement authority
under 24 V.S.A. § 1936a and who has been certified by the Vermont Criminal Justice Council as having successfully
completed a course of training pursuant to 20 V.S.A. § 2358; or
(C) a person certified as a member of the Capitol Police under 2 V.S.A. § 70.
(b) A person is guilty of disarming a law enforcement officer if:
(1) the person knowingly:
(A) removes a firearm from the person of a law enforcement officer; or
(B) deprives a law enforcement officer of the use of a firearm; and
(2) the officer is acting within the lawful scope of the officer’s duties; and
(3) the person has reasonable cause to know or knows the individual is a law enforcement
officer.
(c) A person who is convicted of a violation of this section shall be imprisoned not more
than 10 years or fined not more than $10,000.00, or both. (Added 1999, No. 149 (Adj. Sess.), § 1.)