ARTICLE 1. CRIMES AGAINST THE GOVERNMENT.

§61-1-1. Treason defined; degree of proof.

Treason against the state shall consist only in levying war against it, or in adhering to its enemies, giving them aid and comfort. No person shall be convicted of treason unless on the testimony of two witnesses to the same overt act, or on confession in open court.

§61-1-2. Punishment.

Whoever is guilty of treason against the state shall be punished by confinement in the penitentiary for life, or, at the discretion of the jury, or the discretion of the court when there is a plea of guilty, by confinement in the penitentiary for not less than three nor more than ten years.

§61-1-3. Failure to give information of treason; penalty.

If any person have any knowledge of treason against the state, and shall not, as soon as may be, give information thereof to the Governor or some conservator of the peace, he shall be guilty of a felony, and, upon conviction, shall be fined not exceeding $1,000, or by confinement in the penitentiary not less than one nor more than five years.

§61-1-4. Attempt to justify or uphold invasion or insurrection; penalty.

If any person shall attempt to justify or uphold an armed invasion of this state, or an organized insurrection therein, by speaking, writing, or printing, or by publishing or circulating any written or printed document, or in any other way whatever, during the continuance of such invasion or insurrection, he shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, and, upon conviction, shall be fined not exceeding $1,000, and be confined in jail not exceeding twelve months.

§61-1-5. Unlawful speeches, publications and communications.

It shall be unlawful for any person to speak, print, publish or communicate, by language, sign, picture or otherwise, any teachings, doctrines or counsels in sympathy with or in favor of ideals, institutions or forms of government hostile, inimical or antagonistic to those now or hereafter existing under the Constitution and laws of this state or of the United States, or in sympathy with or in favor of the propriety, duty and necessity of crime, violence or other unlawful methods of terrorism, as a means of accomplishing economic or political reform, or in sympathy with or in favor of the overthrow of organized society, the unlawful destruction of property or the violation of law.

§61-1-6.

Repealed.

Acts, 2010 Reg. Sess., Ch. 34.

§61-1-7. Penalty for unlawful speeches, publications and communications.

Any person violating any of the provisions of section five of this article, shall, for the first offense, be guilty of a misdemeanor, and, upon conviction, shall be fined not less than $100 nor more than $500, or, in the discretion of the court, be confined in jail not exceeding twelve months, or both; and, for the second offense, shall be guilty of a felony, and, upon conviction shall be confined in a state correctional facility not less than one nor more than five years.

§61-1-8. Desecration of flag; penalty.

Any person who for exhibition or display shall place, or cause to be placed, any words, figures, marks, pictures, designs, drawings, or any advertisement of any nature, upon any flag, standard, color or ensign of the United States, or upon the state flag of this state, or shall expose or cause to be exposed to public view any such flag, standard, color or ensign, upon which shall have been printed, painted or otherwise placed, or to which shall be attached, appended, affixed or annexed, any words, figures, marks, pictures, designs, drawings, or any advertisement of any nature or kind, or who shall expose to public view, manufacture, sell, expose for sale, give away, or have in possession for sale or to give away, or for use for any purpose, any article or substance, being an article of merchandise or a receptacle of merchandise, or article or thing for carrying or transporting merchandise, upon which shall have been printed, painted, attached or otherwise placed, a representation of any such flag, standard, color or ensign, to advertise, call attention to, decorate, mark or distinguish the article or substance on which so placed, or who shall publicly mutilate, deface, defile or defy, trample upon or cast contempt, either by words or acts, upon any such flag, standard, color or ensign, he shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor, and, upon conviction, shall be fined not less than $5 nor more than $100, and may, at the discretion of the court or justice trying the case, be confined in jail for a period not exceeding thirty days. Any justice of the peace of the county wherein the offense was committed shall have concurrent jurisdiction of such offense with the circuit or other courts of such county. The words "flag, standard, color or ensign of the United States," as used in this section, shall be construed to include any flag, standard, color, ensign, or any representation or picture of a flag, standard, color or ensign, made of or upon any substance whatever, and of any size whatever, showing the national colors, the stars and stripes. This section shall not apply to any act permitted by the statutes of the United States, or of this state, or by the regulations of the United States army and navy, or of the National Guard of this state, or of the members of the department of public safety; nor shall this section be construed to apply to the regular issue of a newspaper or other periodical, or to any book, certificate, diploma, warrant or commission, on which shall be printed said flag, disconnected from any advertisement, or to the vignette of any political ballot.

§61-1-9. Impersonation of law-enforcement officer or official; penalty.

Any person who shall falsely represent himself or herself to be a law-enforcement officer or law-enforcement official or to be under the order or direction of any such person, or any person not a law-enforcement officer or law-enforcement official who shall wear the uniform prescribed for such persons, or the badge or other insignia adopted for use by such persons with the intent to deceive another person, is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction thereof, shall be fined not less than $100 nor more than $1,000, or confined in jail for not more than six months, or both fined and confined.

For purposes of this section, the terms law-enforcement officer and law-enforcement official shall be defined in §30-29-1 of this code, except that such terms shall not include members of the Department of Homeland Security and shall not include individuals hired by nonpublic entities for the provision of security services.