Penal Law § 215.60

Criminal contempt of the legislature · as in force on May 31, 2026

§ 215.60 Criminal contempt of the legislature.

A person is guilty of criminal contempt of the legislature when, having been duly subpoenaed to attend as a witness before either house of the legislature or before any committee thereof, he:

1. Fails or refuses to attend without lawful excuse; or

2. Refuses to be sworn; or

3. Refuses to answer any material and proper question; or

4. Refuses, after reasonable notice, to produce books, papers, or documents in his possession or under his control which constitute material and proper evidence.

Criminal contempt of the legislature is a class A misdemeanor.

Official sourcehttps://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/laws/PEN/215.60

In plain English

A duly subpoenaed legislative witness commits this offense by:

(1) failing or refusing to attend without lawful excuse;
(2) refusing to be sworn;
(3) refusing to answer a material, proper question; or
(4) after reasonable notice, refusing to produce controlled books, papers, or documents that are material, proper evidence. ★

The offense is a class A misdemeanor.

Marked in the text: penalties, time limits, sums of money. Editorial emphasis added by this edition; it does not appear in the statute as enacted.

In print

This provision appears in Volume 4 — The Court Clerk: Penal Law; Volume 1 — The Court Officer in Plain English; Volume 3 — The Court Officer: Penal Law; Volume 3 — Your Career: Penal Law in Plain English.