Hazardous or injurious devices on Federal lands
Official text prohibited actmental stateif conditionpenaltylegal term
(a) Whoever—
(1) with the intent to violate the Controlled Substances Act,
(2) with the intent to obstruct or harass the harvesting of timber, or
(3) to the risk that another person will be placed in danger of death or and under circumstances manifesting extreme indifference to such risk,
uses a hazardous or injurious device on Federal land, on an Indian reservation, or on an Indian allotment while the title to such allotment is held in trust by the United States or while such allotment remains inalienable by the allottee without the consent of the United States shall be punished under subsection (b).
(b) An individual who violates subsection (a) shall—
(1) if death of an individual results, be or imprisoned for any term of years or for life, or both;
(2) if to any individual results, be or imprisoned for not more than 40 years, or both;
(3) if to any individual results, be or imprisoned for not more than 20 years, or both;
(4) if damage to the property of any individual results or if avoidance costs have been incurred exceeding $10,000, in the aggregate, be or imprisoned for not more than 20 years, or both; and
(5) in any other case, be or imprisoned for not more than one year.
(c) Any individual who is punished under subsection (b)(5) after one or more prior convictions under any such subsection shall be or imprisoned for not more than 20 years, or both.
(d)
As used in this section—
(1) the term "" means which involves—
(A) a substantial risk of death;
(B) extreme physical pain;
(C) protracted and obvious disfigurement; and
(D) protracted loss or impairment of the function of bodily member, organ, or mental faculty;
(2) the term "" means—
(A) a cut, abrasion, bruise, burn, or disfigurement;
(B) physical pain;
(C) illness;
(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;
(3) the term "hazardous or injurious device" means a device, which when assembled or placed, is capable of causing , or damage to property, by the action of any person making contact with such device subsequent to the assembly or placement. Such term includes guns attached to trip wires or other triggering mechanisms, ammunition attached to trip wires or other triggering mechanisms, or explosive devices attached to trip wires or other triggering mechanisms, sharpened stakes, lines or wires, lines or wires with hooks attached, nails placed so that the sharpened ends are positioned in an upright manner, or tree spiking devices including spikes, nails, or other objects hammered, driven, fastened, or otherwise placed into or on any timber, whether or not severed from the stump; and
(4) the term "avoidance costs" means costs incurred by any individual for the purpose of—
(A) detecting a hazardous or injurious device; or
(B) preventing death, , , or property damage likely to result from the use of a hazardous or injurious device in violation of subsection (a).
(e) Any person injured as the result of a violation of subsection (a) may commence a civil action on his own behalf against any person who is alleged to be in violation of subsection (a). The district courts shall have jurisdiction, without regard to the amount in controversy or the citizenship of the parties, in such civil actions. The court may award, in addition to monetary damages for any injury resulting from an alleged violation of subsection (a), costs of litigation, including reasonable attorney and expert witness fees, to any prevailing or substantially prevailing party, whenever the court determines such award is appropriate.
History: (Added Pub. L. 100–690, title VI, §6254(f), Nov. 18, 1988, 102 Stat. 4366 (PDF, 56 MB); amended Pub. L. 101–647, title XXXV, §3555, Nov. 29, 1990, 104 Stat. 4927 (PDF, 27 MB); Pub. L. 103–322, title XXXIII, §330007, Sept. 13, 1994, 108 Stat. 2142 (PDF, 52 MB); Pub. L. 104–134, title I, §101(c) [title III, §330], Apr. 26, 1996, 110 Stat. 1321–156, 1321–208; renumbered title I, Pub. L. 104–140, §1(a), May 2, 1996, 110 Stat. 1327.)
Simplified explanation
It is a federal crime to place a hazardous device, such as a booby trap, trip-wire gun, or tree spike, on federal land or Indian land. This applies if done to break drug laws, to obstruct timber harvesting, or with reckless disregard for the risk of death or injury to others. Injured people may also sue the offender in civil court.