What is the maximum penalty under 18 U.S.C. 242 for deprivation of rights under color of law?

What is the maximum penalty under 18 U.S.C. 242 for deprivation of rights under color of law?

• A. Fined under this title or imprisoned not more than one year, or both
• B. Life imprisonment
• C. 25 years imprisonment
• D. Exile

Answer: (A)

Deprivation of rights under color of law crimes target officials who, acting under color of law, abridge someone's constitutional rights. The baseline penalty for this offense is a fine or imprisonment not more than one year, or both. There is a harsher potential penalty—up to ten years—if the deprivation results in death or serious bodily injury, but that enhancement doesn’t change the base maximum. Among the given options, the one-year limit is the correct maximum under the statute in its standard form, while the other options (life, 25 years, exile) do not fit the law.

Deprivation of rights under color of law crimes target officials who, acting under color of law, abridge someone's constitutional rights. The baseline penalty for this offense is a fine or imprisonment not more than one year, or both. There is a harsher potential penalty—up to ten years—if the deprivation results in death or serious bodily injury, but that enhancement doesn’t change the base maximum. Among the given options, the one-year limit is the correct maximum under the statute in its standard form, while the other options (life, 25 years, exile) do not fit the law.