{"id":374353,"date":"2016-03-31T21:35:43","date_gmt":"2016-04-01T02:35:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/content.findlaw-admin.com\/ability-law\/state\/mississippi-law\/mississippi-computer-crimes-laws.html"},"modified":"2016-06-20T19:49:11","modified_gmt":"2016-06-21T00:49:11","slug":"mississippi-computer-crimes-laws","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/state\/mississippi-law\/mississippi-computer-crimes-laws.html","title":{"rendered":"Mississippi Computer Crimes Laws"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Mississippi Computer Crimes Laws<\/h1>\n
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Created by FindLaw’s team<\/a> of legal writers and editors<\/i><\/p>\n\n | Last updated\n

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The last updated date refers to the last time this article was reviewed by FindLaw or one of our contributing authors<\/a>. We make every effort to keep our articles updated. For information regarding a specific legal issue affecting you, please contact an attorney in your area<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/details>\n<\/section>\n

A computer crime is any crime that uses a computer<\/a> or the Internet to defraud or harm another person or property. Computer crimes committed in Mississippi are investigated and prosecuted by the Cyber Crime Unit<\/a> of the Mississippi Attorney General\u2019s Office. The Cyber Crime Unit also provides training and public awareness on crimes that involve computers and the Internet. Because many of these crimes cross state boundaries, federal law enforcement and the U.S. Department of Justice are frequently also involved in these cases. Additionally, the local district attorney can also prosecute computer crimes<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The table below outlines the main computer crimes<\/a> in Mississippi.<\/p>\n\n
Code Section<\/b><\/td>\nMississippi Code Title 97: Crimes, Chapter 45: Computer Crimes & Identity Theft<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>
Mental State<\/b><\/td>\nFor all crimes, a defendant must have a certain mental state. In legalese, this is known by the Latin \u201cmens rea<\/a>\u201d or guilty mind. For computer crime laws in Mississippi, you must have intentionally <\/i>committed the crime; accidentally damaging someone else\u2019s computer isn\u2019t enough.<\/td>\n<\/tr>
Computer Crimes<\/b><\/td>\nMississippi law prohibits all of the following computer crimes:
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Penalty<\/b><\/td>\nThe penalty for all of the above computer crimes depends on the damages sustained by the victim or equipment, as follows:
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  • If less than $1,000 in damage<\/u>, a fine of not more than $1,000 and no more than 6 months in jail, if community-based treatment can\u2019t be safely accomplished, or 1 year probation
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    • After 3 or more convictions of at least $500 damage, a prison term of up to 3 years and a fine up to $2,000 can be imposed<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
    • For $1,000 to $5,000 of damage<\/u>, a fine of up to $10,000 and imprisonment of up to 5 years is the penalty<\/li>\n
    • For damage of $5,000 to $25,000<\/u>, the punishment is a fine of up to $10,000 and imprisonment for up to 10 years<\/li>\n
    • For $25,000 or more in damage<\/u>, the fine is not more than $10,000 and at most 20 years in prison<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>
Attempted Computer Crimes<\/b><\/td>\nAttempted computer crimes aren\u2019t considered crimes. For other crimes, like murder, you don\u2019t have to succeed to be charged because attempt<\/a> is still a crime.<\/td>\n<\/tr>
Cyberstalking<\/b><\/td>\nAbusers use all the tools they can to get to their victims. One way is using computers. It\u2019s illegal in Mississippi to \u201ccyberstalk<\/a>\u201d a victim by doing any of the following:
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Cyberbullying<\/b><\/td>\nWith new technology, comes new ways to commit old harms. Mississippi outlaws cyberbullying<\/a> or posting messages on social media to cause injury to any person. This is a felony punished by up to 5 years imprisonment and at most a $10,000 fine.<\/td>\n<\/tr><\/tbody><\/table>\n

Note:<\/i><\/b> State laws change regularly, it\u2019s best to conduct your own legal research to verify these laws or contact an experienced Mississippi criminal defense lawyer<\/a> with any questions, especially if you\u2019re charged with a computer-related crime.<\/i><\/p>\n

Research the Law<\/h2>\n