New York statute
N.Y. Penal Law § 215.00 — Bribing a witness
Current through 2026 legislative session (LBDC text via OpenLegislation as of 2026-07-17)
Part of Article 215: Other Offenses Relating to Judicial and Other Proceedings, New York Penal Law.
Criminal charges under this statute
Full text of N.Y. Penal Law § 215.00
Statutory text current through the 2026 legislative session (LBDC text via OpenLegislation as of 2026-07-17). This publication reproduces the text of the Consolidated Laws of New York as provided by the New York State Senate's Open Legislation service (Legislative Bill Drafting Commission statutory text); it is not the official statutes of the State of New York.
215.00 Bribing a witness.
A person is guilty of bribing a witness when he confers, or offers or
agrees to confer, any benefit upon a witness or a person about to be
called as a witness in any action or proceeding upon an agreement or
understanding that (a) the testimony of such witness will thereby be
influenced, or (b) such witness will absent himself from, or otherwise
avoid or seek to avoid appearing or testifying at, such action or
proceeding.
Bribing a witness is a class D felony.
Official sources
Legal terms used in this section
Questions this section answers
What class of felony is bribing a witness in New York?
Bribing a witness is a Class D Felony in New York under N.Y. Penal Law § 215.00.
Which New York statute covers bribing a witness?
Bribing a witness is governed by N.Y. Penal Law § 215.00 (Bribing a witness).
This reference is informational and is not legal advice.