Obstruction of Justice Under Federal Law: An Abbreviated Sketch (CRS Report for Congress)
| Release Date |
Oct. 7, 1998 |
| Report Number |
98-831 |
| Report Type |
Report |
| Authors |
Charles Doyle, American Law Division |
| Source Agency |
Congressional Research Service |
Summary:
Although in a given case the same misconduct may be punishable under other federal statutes --
some like 18 U.S.C. 1001 equally broad and others like 18 U.S.C. 1516 more narrowly drawn, this
report focuses on selected aspects of the general obstruction of justice provisions found in 18 U.S.C.
1503, 1505, and 1512. It is essentially a replica, without footnotes or citations, of CRS Report 98-832(pdf) , Obstruction of Justice Under Federal Law: A Review of Some of the Elements .
Section 1503 prohibits obstruction of pending federal judicial proceedings; section 1505
outlaws obstruction of pending administrative and Congressional proceedings; and section 1512 bans
witness tampering with the intent to obstruct federal judicial, administrative, or Congressional
proceedings.
