ILCS » Chapter 720 · Act 5
Illinois Compiled Statutes

720 ILCS 5/32-4 (2026)

Communicating with jurors and witnesses

✓ current as of May 2026
Find cases: SyfertCases citing this section IL-ILGAilga.gov JustiaChapter on Justia CornellLII Search CasesGoogle Scholar
(720 ILCS 5/32-4) (from Ch. 38, par. 32-4)
    Sec. 32-4. Communicating with jurors and witnesses.
    (a) A person who, with intent to influence any person whom he believes has been summoned as a juror, regarding any matter which is or may be brought before such juror, communicates, directly or indirectly, with such juror otherwise than as authorized by law commits a Class 4 felony.
    (b) A person who, with intent to deter any party or witness from testifying freely, fully and truthfully to any matter pending in any court, or before a Grand Jury, Administrative agency or any other State or local governmental unit, forcibly detains such party or witness, or communicates, directly or indirectly, to such party or witness any knowingly false information or a threat of injury or damage to the property or person of any individual or offers or delivers or threatens to withhold money or another thing of value to any individual commits a Class 3 felony.
    (c) A person who violates the Juror Protection Act commits a Class 4 felony.
(Source: P.A. 94-186, eff. 1-1-06.)

    
Notes of Decisions
Cited in 15 cases (4 in the last 5 years), 2000–2023 · leading case: People v. Stuckey, 959 N.E.2d 740 (Ill. App. Ct. 2011).
Sort: Relevance Newest Treatment
People v. Stuckey, 959 N.E.2d 740 (Ill. App. Ct. 2011). · cites it 8× “¶ 22 This reading of the statute is reinforced when we consider section 32-4(b) alongside section 32-4(a), which defines the crime of communicating with a juror. The mens rea for this offense is parallel but not quite identical to that of communicating with a witness and, rather…”
Fairley v. Andrews, 578 F.3d 518 (7th Cir. 2009). “They have framed their case in a way that can yield one of only two results: either everyone is liable under the first amendment or no one is liable. Since the first amendment does not support a claim against the sheriff, all defendants win.”
People v. Taylor, 2019 IL App (1st) 160173 (Ill. App. Ct. 2020). “3d 269, 273 (2007), this court similarly rejected the proposition that the witness harassment statute (720 ILCS 5/32-4 (West 2004)) is vague because “citizens are not apprised of the proscribed conduct and arbitrary enforcement results where the legislature did not precisely…”
People v. Henderson, 2019 IL App (4th) 170305 (Ill. App. Ct. 2019). · cites it 3× “¶ 5 In July 2016, the State additionally charged defendant with the offense of unlawful communication with a witness ( 720 ILCS 5/32-4(b) (West 2014) ) (count IV).”
Same Condition, LLC v. Codal, Inc., 2021 IL App (1st) 201187 (Ill. App. Ct. 2021). “See 720 ILCS 5/32-4(b) (West 2018) (describing the offense of witness harassment).”
Huon v. Mudge, 597 F. App'x 868 (7th Cir. 2015). “Huon also challenges the district court’s determination that probable cause existed for the 2009 charges.”
Anderson v. Vill. of Oswego, 109 F. Supp. 2d 930 (N.D. Ill. 2000). “720 ILCS 5/32-4; 5/32-4a. Defendant’s only reply to this is that these crimes were hypothetical because none were prosecuted.”
People v. Henderson, 2019 IL App (4th) 170305 (Ill. App. Ct. 2019). · cites it 3× “¶5 In July 2016, the State additionally charged defendant with the offense of unlawful communication with a witness (count IV) (720 ILCS 5/32-4(b) (West 2014)). It alleged that defendant offered Hines money “with the intent to deter *** Hines from testifying fully and truthfully…”
People v. Stuckey, 2011 IL App (1st) 92535 (Ill. App. Ct. 2011). · cites it 7× “The mens rea for this offense is parallel but not quite identical to that of communicating with a witness and, rather than referring to “intent to deter” (720 ILCS 5/32-4(b) (West 2008)), communicating with a juror requires an “intent to influence” (720 ILCS 5/32-4(a) (West…”
People v. Goldsmith, 2022 IL App (3d) 170780-U (Ill. App. Ct. 2022). · cites it 2× “¶2 In 2015, the State charged defendant, Robert Gold-Smith, with communicating with a witness (720 ILCS 5/32-4(b) (West 2014)) involved in his previous solicitation of murder-for-hire charge.”
People v. Chambers, 2023 IL App (4th) 210160-U (Ill. App. Ct. 2023). “16-CF-299): harassment of a witness (720 ILCS 5/32-4a(a)(2) (West 2016)), bribery (720 ILCS 5/33-1(a) (West 2016)), and communication with a witness (720 ILCS 5/32-4(b) (West 2016)). Later, these three charges were dismissed, but the charge of attempted harassment of a witness…”
People v. Lewis, 2023 IL App (4th) 180595 (Ill. App. Ct. 2023). “At an August 2018 hearing, the Vermilion County circuit court found defendant was eligible for Class X sentencing under section 5-4.”
Show all 15 citing cases →
— 720 ILCS 5/32-4(a) — 2 cases
People v. Stuckey, 959 N.E.2d 740 (Ill. App. Ct. 2011). “¶ 22 This reading of the statute is reinforced when we consider section 32-4(b) alongside section 32-4(a), which defines the crime of communicating with a juror. The mens rea for this offense is parallel but not quite identical to that of communicating with a witness and, rather…”
People v. Stuckey, 2011 IL App (1st) 92535 (Ill. App. Ct. 2011). “The mens rea for this offense is parallel but not quite identical to that of communicating with a witness and, rather than referring to “intent to deter” (720 ILCS 5/32-4(b) (West 2008)), communicating with a juror requires an “intent to influence” (720 ILCS 5/32-4(a) (West…”
— 720 ILCS 5/32-4(b) — 10 cases
People v. Stuckey, 959 N.E.2d 740 (Ill. App. Ct. 2011). “¶ 22 This reading of the statute is reinforced when we consider section 32-4(b) alongside section 32-4(a), which defines the crime of communicating with a juror. The mens rea for this offense is parallel but not quite identical to that of communicating with a witness and, rather…”
People v. Henderson, 2019 IL App (4th) 170305 (Ill. App. Ct. 2019). “¶ 5 In July 2016, the State additionally charged defendant with the offense of unlawful communication with a witness ( 720 ILCS 5/32-4(b) (West 2014) ) (count IV).”
Same Condition, LLC v. Codal, Inc., 2021 IL App (1st) 201187 (Ill. App. Ct. 2021). “See 720 ILCS 5/32-4(b) (West 2018) (describing the offense of witness harassment).”
Huon v. Mudge, 597 F. App'x 868 (7th Cir. 2015). “Huon also challenges the district court’s determination that probable cause existed for the 2009 charges.”
People v. Henderson, 2019 IL App (4th) 170305 (Ill. App. Ct. 2019). “¶5 In July 2016, the State additionally charged defendant with the offense of unlawful communication with a witness (count IV) (720 ILCS 5/32-4(b) (West 2014)). It alleged that defendant offered Hines money “with the intent to deter *** Hines from testifying fully and truthfully…”
Annotations are extracted automatically from the opinions in the Syfert caselaw corpus and ranked by authority, recency, and treatment. Dots show Syfertize treatment of the citing case itself.