Current through 2024 Legislative Session Act Chapter 494
Section 1211 - Official misconduct; class a misdemeanor, class g, f, d, b felony(a) A public servant is guilty of official misconduct when, intending to obtain a personal benefit or to cause harm to another person, the public servant knowingly does any of the following:(1) Commits an act constituting an unauthorized exercise of official functions, knowing that the act is unauthorized.(2) Refrains from performing a duty or breaches a duty which is imposed by law or is clearly inherent in the nature of the office.(3) Performs official functions in a way intended to benefit the public servant's own property or financial interests under circumstances in which the public servant's actions would not have been reasonably justified in consideration of the factors which ought to have been taken into account in performing official functions.(4) Performs official functions in a way intended to practice discrimination on the basis of race, religion, color, disability, sexual orientation, sex, age, gender identity, national origin, or ancestry.(5) Uses or relies on the public servant's position of trust or authority to engage in criminal conduct. (b) Official misconduct is punished as follows: (1) For a violation of paragraph (a)(1) or (a)(2) of this section, a class A misdemeanor.(2) For a violation of paragraph (a)(3), (a)(4), or (a)(5) of this section, a class G felony.(3) A sentence is enhanced for a violation of paragraphs (a)(1) through (a)(5) of this section as follows: a. A class F felony, if the value of the personal benefit received, or the harm caused, is $1,500 or more, but less than $50,000.b. A class D felony, if the value of the personal benefit received, or the harm caused, is $50,000 or more, but less than $100,000.c. A class B felony, if the value of the personal benefit received, or the harm caused, is $100,000 or more.d. A class F felony, if the harm caused is physical injury, or the public servant engages in conduct constituting an offense that is punishable as an unclassified misdemeanor, a class B misdemeanor, or a class A misdemeanor.e. A class D felony, if the harm caused is serious physical injury, or the public servant engages in conduct constituting an offense that is punishable as a class G felony, a class F felony, or a class E felony.f. One grade higher than the underlying offense, if the public servant engages in conduct constituting an offense that is punishable as a class D felony or a class C felony.g. A class A felony, if the public servant engages in conduct constituting an offense that is punishable as a class B felony or a class A felony, or if the harm caused is death.(4)Official Misconduct is a class D felony where the value of the personal benefit received, or the harm caused, is $50,000 or more, but less than $100,000.(5) Official Misconduct is a class B felony where the value of the personal benefit received, or the harm caused, is $100,000 or more. (6) Official Misconduct is a class F felony where the harm caused is physical injury, or the public servant engages in conduct constituting an offense which is punishable as an unclassified misdemeanor, a class B misdemeanor, or a class A misdemeanor. (7) Official Misconduct is a class D felony where the harm caused is serious physical injury, or the public servant engages in conduct constituting an offense which is punishable as a class G felony, a class F felony, or a class E felony. (8) Official Misconduct shall be one grade higher than the underlying offense where the public servant engages in conduct constituting an offense which is punishable as a Class D felony or a Class C felony. (9) Official Misconduct shall be a Class A felony where the public servant engages in conduct constituting an offense which is punishable as a Class B felony or a Class A felony or where the harm caused is death. (c) The Superior Court has exclusive jurisdiction over a violation of this section.Amended by Laws 2023, ch. 449,s 1, eff. 9/26/2024.Amended by Laws 2023 , ch. 225, s 1, eff. 9/21/2023.11 Del. C. 1953, § 1211; 58 Del. Laws, c. 497, § 1; 61 Del. Laws, c. 327, § 1; 64 Del. Laws, c. 48, §1; 67 Del. Laws, c. 130, §8; 70 Del. Laws, c. 186, § 1.;Section 2 of the 2023 amending legislation provides that the Act will be known as the "Abuse of Power Prevention Act".