Florida Statute 914.21 - Full Text and Legal Analysis

The 2025 Florida Statutes

Title XLVII
CRIMINAL PROCEDURE AND CORRECTIONS

Chapter 914
WITNESSES; CRIMINAL PROCEEDINGS

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F.S. 914.21

914.21 Definitions.—As used in ss. 914.22-914.24, the term:

(1) “Bodily injury” means:

(a) A cut, abrasion, bruise, burn, or disfigurement;

(b) Physical pain;

(d) Impairment of the function of a bodily member, organ, or mental faculty; or

(e) Any other injury to the body, no matter how temporary.

(2) “Misleading conduct” means:

(a) Knowingly making a false statement;

(b) Intentionally omitting information from a statement and thereby causing a portion of such statement to be misleading, or intentionally concealing a material fact and thereby creating a false impression by such statement;

(c) With intent to mislead, knowingly submitting or inviting reliance on a writing or recording that is false, forged, altered, or otherwise lacking in authenticity;

(d) With intent to mislead, knowingly submitting or inviting reliance on a sample, specimen, map, photograph, boundary mark, or other object that is misleading in a material respect; or

(e) Knowingly using a trick, scheme, or device with intent to mislead.

(3) “Official investigation” means any investigation instituted by a law enforcement agency or prosecuting officer of the state or a political subdivision of the state or the Commission on Ethics or the Division of Florida Condominiums, Timeshares, and Mobile Homes of the Department of Business and Professional Regulation.

(4) “Official proceeding” means:

(a) A proceeding before a judge or court or a grand jury;

(b) A proceeding before the Legislature;

(d) A proceeding before the Commission on Ethics.

(5) “Physical force” means physical action against another and includes confinement.

History.—s. 13, ch. 84-363; s. 3, ch. 88-96; s. 16, ch. 2006-275; s. 25, ch. 2025-175.

F.S. 914.21 on Google Scholar

F.S. 914.21 on CourtListener

Amendments to 914.21

Annotations, Discussions, Cases:

Cases Citing Statute 914.21

Total Results: 6

State v. Cohen

568 So. 2d 49, 1990 WL 141449

Supreme Court of Florida | Filed: Sep 27, 1990 | Docket: 1526700

Cited 30 times | Published

court stated in pertinent part: Neither Florida Statute 914.21 nor Florida Statute 914.22 defines the

State v. Jones

642 So. 2d 804, 1994 WL 501296

District Court of Appeal of Florida | Filed: Sep 16, 1994 | Docket: 1529464

Cited 7 times | Published

trial is an "official proceeding" as defined in section 914.21(4), and whether section 914.23 is unconstitutionally

In Re: Standard Jury Instructions in Criminal Cases-Report 2017-09.

238 So. 3d 192

Supreme Court of Florida | Filed: Mar 8, 2018 | Docket: 6327897

Cited 1 times | Published

an adviser or consultant. Definitions. § 914.21, Fla. Stat. Give as applicable. "Misleading

In Re: Standard Jury Instructions in Criminal Cases-Report 2018-11.

260 So. 3d 1024

Supreme Court of Florida | Filed: Dec 20, 2018 | Docket: 8439935

Published

an adviser or consultant. Definitions. § 914.21, Fla. Stat., Give as applicable. "Official

J.L.R. v. State

756 So. 2d 1088, 2000 Fla. App. LEXIS 5159, 2000 WL 524829

District Court of Appeal of Florida | Filed: May 1, 2000 | Docket: 64797052

Published

investigation instituted by a law enforcement agency,” see § 914.21(3), Fla. Stat., but it does not include an investigation

State v. Cohen

545 So. 2d 894, 14 Fla. L. Weekly 446, 1989 Fla. App. LEXIS 749, 1989 WL 11244

District Court of Appeal of Florida | Filed: Feb 15, 1989 | Docket: 64643417

Published

person to testify truthfully. (Emphasis added). Section 914.21 defines misleading conduct: (2) “Misleading