Codified text.
If two or more persons conspire to injure, oppress, threaten, or intimidate any person in any State, Territory, Commonwealth, Possession, or District in the free exercise or enjoyment of any right or privilege secured to him by the Constitution or laws of the United States, or because of his having so exercised the same; or
If two or more persons go in disguise on the highway, or on the premises of another, with intent to prevent or hinder his free exercise or enjoyment of any right or privilege so secured—
They shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than ten years, or both; and if death results from the acts committed in violation of this section or if such acts include kidnapping or an attempt to kidnap, aggravated sexual abuse or an attempt to commit aggravated sexual abuse, or an attempt to kill, they shall be fined under this title or imprisoned for any term of years or for life, or both, or may be sentenced to death.
Editorial commentary — not part of the primary text.
Editorial note. Source credits are preserved as editorial metadata derived from the official Office of the Law Revision Counsel publication.
Editorial note. June 25, 1948, ch. 645, 62 Stat. 696; Pub. L. 90–284, title I, § 103(a), Apr. 11, 1968, 82 Stat. 75; Pub. L. 100–690, title VII, § 7018(a), (b)(1), Nov. 18, 1988, 102 Stat. 4396; Pub. L. 103–322, title VI, § 60006(a), title XXXII, §§ 320103(a), 320201(a), title XXXIII, § 330016(1)(L), Sept. 13, 1994, 108 Stat. 1970, 2109, 2113, 2147; Pub. L. 104–294, title VI, §§ 604(b)(14)(A), 607(a), Oct. 11, 1996, 110 Stat. 3507, 3511.
Revision history
- 1948-06-25 — Enacted as part of the Title 18 recodification (act of June 25, 1948, ch. 645, 62 Stat. 696).
- 1968-04-11 — Amended by section 103(a) of the Civil Rights Act of 1968 (Pub. L. 90-284, 82 Stat. 75).
- 1988-11-18 — Amended by section 7018(a), (b)(1) of the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1988 (Pub. L. 100-690, 102 Stat. 4396).
- 1994-09-13 — Amended by the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 (Pub. L. 103-322, 108 Stat. 1970).
- 1996-10-11 — Amended by Pub. L. 104-294 (110 Stat. 3507, 3511).