HB 2343
Initials LC/JH Page 1 Caucus & COW
ARIZONA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Fifty-fifth Legislature
Second Regular Session
House: JUD DPA 9-0-1-0
HB 2343: crime scene investigation interference; offense
Sponsor: Representative Payne, LD 21
Caucus & COW
Overview
Makes interfering with a crime scene investigation a criminal offense and classifies it as a class 1
misdemeanor.
History
Statute prohibits a person from obstructing governmental operations. A person commits
obstructing governmental operations when the person uses threats or violence to hinder a peace
officer from enforcing the law or acting under official authority. This offense is classified as a class
1 misdemeanor (A.R.S. § 13-2402).
Tampering with physical evidence with the intent to render it unavailable or useless for an official
proceeding is a class 1 misdemeanor. Tampering with physical evidence includes:
1) Intending to destroy, mutilate, alter or remove physical evidence;
2) Knowingly producing false physical evidence; or
3) Preventing, through physical force, intimidation or deception, a person from providing
physical evidence to a peace officer or a judicial proceeding (A.R.S. § 13-2809).
Provisions
1. States interfering with a crime scene investigation, disobeying a peace officer's verbal order
to leave a possible crime scene or interfere with the investigation is unlawful. (Sec. 1)
2. Classifies interfering with a crime scene investigation as a class 1 misdemeanor. (Sec. 1)
Amendments
Committee on Judiciary
1. Requires a person knowingly disobey the reasonable verbal order of a peace officer for the
act to be criminal.
2. Clarifies that this offense does not apply to a person peaceably observing a police proceeding
provided the person does not interfere with or obstruct the peace officer's investigation.
3. Defines crime scene.
☐ Prop 105 (45 votes) ☐ Prop 108 (40 votes) ☐ Emergency (40 votes) ☐ Fiscal Note