21.11 HARASSING A [WITNESS] [VICTIM] [INFORMANT]
Official jury instruction text reproduced for information. It is not legal advice; the instruction given in a case depends on the facts and the court.
- Instruction
- 21.11
- Statute
- § 914.22(3), Fla. Stat.
- Edition
- Florida Standard Jury Instructions in Criminal Cases, complete set published by The Florida Bar, updated October 9, 2026
- Official source
- The Florida Bar: criminal jury instructions
Elements
Quoted word for word from the official text. Florida Standard Jury Instructions in Criminal Cases, complete set published by The Florida Bar, updated October 9, 2026.
To prove the crime of Harassing a [Witness] [Victim] [Informant] [Person], the State must prove the following three elements beyond a reasonable doubt:
Give as applicable.
1. (Defendant) intentionally [harassed] [attempted to harass] (name of person).
2. (Defendant) thereby [hindered] [attempted to hinder] [delayed] [attempted to delay] [prevented] [attempted to prevent] [dissuaded] [attempted to dissuade] [a person] [(name of person)] from
a. attending or testifying in an official proceeding or cooperating in an official investigation.
b. reporting to a law enforcement officer or judge the commission or possible commission of [an offense] [a violation of a condition of [probation] [parole] [release pending a judicial proceeding]].
c. arresting or seeking the arrest of another person in connection with an offense.
d. causing a [criminal prosecution] [[parole] [probation] revocation proceeding] to be sought or instituted or from assisting in such [prosecution] [proceeding].
3. The official [investigation] [proceeding] involved the [investigation] [or] [prosecution] of (insert appropriate type of investigation or proceeding, e.g., first degree murder, non-criminal offense, etc.).
Lesser-included offenses
As the instruction lists them, word for word.
The degree of this crime depends on the severity of the underlying offense that is the subject of the harassment. § 914.22(4), Fla. Stat.
Related practice page
Witness Tampering, Harassment, and Retaliation in Miami
Official source: The Florida Bar: criminal jury instructions
Official jury instruction text reproduced for information. It is not legal advice; the instruction given in a case depends on the facts and the court.