NY State — NY Penal Law

§ 240.78 — Making a threat of mass harm

Brooklyn since 2014All five boroughsSame-day response during business hours

Statute text reproduced from nysenate.gov. Not attorney-reviewed for your situation — for reference only.

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What is NY PL § 240.78?

Quick Answer

1. A person is guilty of making a threat of mass harm when with the intent to intimidate a group of people or to create public alarm, such person threatens to inflict or cause to be inflicted, serious physical injury or death at a school, place of worship, business, government building, or other place of assembly, and

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§ 240.78 Making a threat of mass harm

PL § 240.78

§ 240.78 Making a threat of mass harm.

1.A person is guilty of making a threat of mass harm when with the intent to intimidate a group of people or to create public alarm, such person threatens to inflict or cause to be inflicted, serious physical injury or death at a school, place of worship, business, government building, or other place of assembly, and thereby causes a reasonable expectation or fear of serious physical injury or death, or causes the evacuation or lockdown of a school, place of worship, business, government building, or other place of assembly.

2.It shall be no defense to a prosecution pursuant to this section that the defendant did not have the intent or capability of committing the conduct threatened.

Making a threat of mass harm is a class B misdemeanor.

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