HB2811

THE CONTEXT: A.R.S. 13-2402 defines the offense of obstructing governmental operations as knowingly using or threatening to use violence or physical force to obstruct, impair, or hinder either a public servant s performance of a governmental function, or a peace officer s enforcement of criminal law or preservation of the peace. Statute excludes interference with the making of an arrest from the definition of this offence. This offence is a class 1 misdemeanor.

WHAT THE BILL DID: The final vetoed version would expand the definition of obstructing governmental operations to include knowingly obstructing, impairing or hindering the making of a lawful arrest by using or threatening to use violence or physical force, classifies hindering the making of a lawful arrest as a class 5 felony, and make technical and conforming changes.

WHY IT MATTERED: The practical reason for this bill was to make the public-safety rule for obstructing governmental operations clearer and more usable. It would expand the definition of obstructing governmental operations to include knowingly obstructing, impairing or hindering the making of a lawful arrest by using or threatening to use violence or physical force, and would also classifies hindering the making of a lawful arrest as a class 5 felony, rather than leave the current rule unchanged.