Criminal penalties provision for bribing or corruptly influencing a juror

2025-2026 Regular Session Introduced by Andrew Mathews

Creates a standalone felony offense for bribing a juror, with up to 10 years' prison, and expands laws to protect jurors from corrupt influence.

Referred to Judiciary and Public Safety

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Purpose and Intent

SF 5138 creates a new criminal offense for bribing a juror and expands the existing statute to explicitly cover corruptly influencing jurors. The bill aims to deter and punish attempts to sway jurors’ votes or positions through improper means, thereby protecting the integrity of the jury system and court proceedings. The new provisions establish a standalone offense for bribing a juror and amend the existing statute to explicitly include jurors under the scope of corrupt influence.

Key Provisions

1) New offense: Bribery of a juror (new § 609.421)

Offense: Offering, giving, or promising to give any benefit, reward, or consideration to a juror (whether impaneled or not) in any Minnesota court with the intent to influence the juror’s vote or position on a matter before the juror.

Classification: Felony.

Penalty: Up to 10 years in prison, or a fine of up to $20,000, or both (subdivision 3: Sentence).

Effective date: August 1, 2026.

Application: Applies to crimes committed on or after August 1, 2026.

2) Amendment to corruptly influencing others (amends § 609.425)

The statute already prohibites corrupt influencing of legislators or jurors. The amendment broadens the wording to explicitly include jurors and the act of attempting to influence the vote or performance of duty of a juror, in addition to legislators.

Penalty: Up to 5 years imprisonment, or a fine up to $10,000, or both (existing framework updated to reflect jurors as a protected target).

Effective date: August 1, 2026 (applies to crimes on or after that date).

3) Effective dates

Both sections 609.421 and 609.425 (as amended) become effective August 1, 2026.

The new juror bribery offense applies prospectively to crimes committed on or after that date.

Affected Parties and Impacts

Affected Parties:

Individuals who attempt to bribe or influence jurors (the primary violators under § 609.421).
Jurors and those who appeal to or attempt to corrupt jurors (covered by the amended § 609.425).
Courts in Minnesota, jurors summoned for service, and participants in the Minnesota jury system.

Impact:

Clarity and reinforcement of protections against jury corruption.
Clear, separate felony offense for juror bribery with substantial penalties, signaling a strong stance on safeguarding judicial proceedings.
Harmonization of the corrupt influencing statute to explicitly include jurors, reducing ambiguity in enforcement.

Procedural and Timeline Considerations

Introduction and status:

Introduced and read on April 15, 2026.
Referred to Judiciary and Public Safety committees.

Effective date for new offenses:

August 1, 2026 (applies to crimes committed on or after that date).

Legislative drafting:

The bill’s text includes new code provisions for § 609.421 and amendments to § 609.425, with corresponding effective-date language.

Practical Takeaways

If enacted, Minnesota would have a distinct felony offense for offering or giving compensation to a juror to influence a verdict or decision.

The jurisdiction-wide scope covers any court in the state and both impaneled and non-impaneled jurors.

The penalties emphasize serious criminal consequences for bribery or corrupt influence of jurors, aligning with broader public-safety goals to preserve fair trial processes.

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