Sexual assault - North Dakota Sexual Assault Laws

Sexual assault Crime & Punishment in North Dakota :

The North Dakota code § 12.1-20-07 defines three degrees of the crime sexual assault, each with associated punishments. The degree of the crime depends on the specifics of the crime committed, with higher degrees of the charge generally receiving harsher punishments.

Severity	Sexual assault - Charge Description	Punishment
Class A misdemeanor STATUTORY	If offender knowingly has sexual contact with victim or causes another person to have sexual contact with victim, and victim is a minor age 15 or above, and offender is at least age 18 but under 22 years old.	Up to 1 year in prison and/or a maximum fine of $2,000
Class B misdemeanor	If offender knowingly has sexual contact with victim or causes another person to have sexual contact with victim, and offender knows or has reasonable cause to believe that the contact is offensive to victim.	Up to 30 days in prison and/or a maximum fine of $1,000
Class C felony	If offender knowingly has sexual contact with victim or causes another person to have sexual contact with victim, and victim is a minor age 15 or above, and offender is at least 22 years old. If offender knowingly has sexual contact with victim or causes another person to have sexual contact with victim, and the victim is a minor age 15 or above, and offender is victim’s parent or guardian, or is otherwise responsible for general supervision of victim’s welfare. If offender knowingly has sexual contact with victim or causes another person to have sexual contact with victim, and the victim is in official custody or detained in a hospital, prison, or other institution and offender has supervisory or disciplinary authority over victim. If offender knowingly has sexual contact with victim or causes another person to have sexual contact with victim, and offender or someone else, with offender’s knowledge, has substantially impaired the victim’s power to appraise or control victim’s conduct, by administering or employing without victim’s knowledge intoxicants, a controlled substance, or other means for the purpose of preventing resistance. If offender knowingly has sexual contact with victim or causes another person to have sexual contact with victim, and offender knows or has reasonable cause to believe that victim suffers from a mental disease or defect which renders victim incapable of understanding the nature of that other person’s conduct	Up to 5 years in prison and/or a maximum fine of $5,000

North Dakota law allows sexual assault to be enforced as a statutory charge. This means that this charge can be applied to cases in which the victim is younger than the North Dakota Age of Consent, even if the victim willingly engages in sexual relations with the defendant.

Sexual assault defined in other states :

Sexual assault is a charge in a total of ten other state(s). The exact definition, charge type, and potential sentencing of this charge varying state to state. For further details please refer to the state page.

State	Charge Type(s)	Punishment(s)
Arizona	Class 2 felony	First offense is 5.25 to 14 years and a Prior felony means 7-21 years. Force or threat of force against the victim or Two or more felonies is 14-28 years. If the victim is under 12, life in prison.
Colorado	Class 1 misdemeanor; Class 2 felony; Class 3 felony; Class 4 felony	6-18 month sentence; $500-5,000 fine; 8-20 years; 5 years mandatory parole; $5,000-one million dollar fine; ; 2 to 6 years in prison
Missouri	Class C Felony	Up to 7 years
Montana		2 to 100 years and fine of up to $50,000; County jail sentence not to exceed 6 months, fine up to $500, or both
Nevada	Category A felony	Life with a chance for parole after 20 years; Either life with the chance for parole after serving 20 years, or a term of 20 years with chance for parole after 5 years of imprisonment; Life without chance for parole; Either life without parole, life with a chance for parole after 15 years, or term of 40 years with chance for parole after 15 years.; Life with a chance for parole after 10 years, or term of 25 years with parole chance after 10 years.
New Hampshire	Class A misdemeanor	A maximum of 1 year in jail
New Jersey	Crime of 1st degree; Crime of 2nd degree	10 to 20 years in prison; 5 to 10 years in prison
Pennsylvania	Felony of the second degree	A maximum of 10 years in prison and up to $25,000 in fines
Texas	Felony of the first degree; Felony of the second degree	Maximum of life in prison and/or a maximum fine of $10,000; Maximum of 20 years in prison and/or a maximum fine of $10,000
Vermont	Felony	A maximum of 20 years, and/or a maximum fine of $10,000; 3 years-life, and/or a maximum fine of $25,000

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