18 U.S.C. § 241
Section 241 · Conspiracy against rights
Amended 5 times on record
The circuits are split over this section — Whether a sentencing court may consider conduct underlying counts dismissed pursuant to a plea agreement when determining the defendant's sentence
Applied in 977 court decisions — leading case Miranda v. State of Arizona Vignera (1966)
Most recently applied in State v. Zeigler (February 2026)
Applied most in the First Circuit Circuit (55 decisions)
Cases citing this section usually also cite 42 U.S.C. § 1983 · 18 U.S.C. § 242 · 42 U.S.C. § 1985
How often courts cite this section
Court decisions citing this, by year.Markers show enactment, consequential amendments, and circuit splits over this section — watch for a citation surge after a change or a disagreement. The dip in the last several years is a data-coverage gap, not a real trend — our corpus holds fewer opinions from the most recent years, so recent citations are undercounted.
If two or more persons conspire to injure, oppress, threaten, or intimidate any person in any State, Territory, Commonwealth, Possession, or District in the free exercise or enjoyment of any right or privilege secured to him by the Constitution or laws of the United States, or because of his having so exercised the same; or
If two or more persons go in disguise on the highway, or on the premises of another, with intent to prevent or hinder his free exercise or enjoyment of any right or privilege so secured—
They shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than ten years, or both; and if death results from the acts committed in violation of this section or if such acts include kidnapping or an attempt to kidnap, aggravated sexual abuse or an attempt to commit aggravated sexual abuse, or an attempt to kill, they shall be fined under this title or imprisoned for any term of years or for life, or both, or may be sentenced to death.
Editorial notes U.S. Code · Office of the Law Revision Counsel
Historical and Revision Notes
Based on title 18, U.S.C., 1940 ed., §51 (Mar. 4, 1909, ch. 321, §19, 35 Stat. 1092).
Clause making conspirator ineligible to hold office was omitted as incongruous because it attaches ineligibility to hold office to a person who may be a private citizen and who was convicted of conspiracy to violate a specific statute. There seems to be no reason for imposing such a penalty in the case of one individual crime, in view of the fact that other crimes do not carry such a severe consequence. The experience of the Department of Justice is that this unusual penalty has been an obstacle to successful prosecutions for violations of the act.
Mandatory punishment provision was rephrased in the alternative.
Minor changes in phraseology were made.
Amendments
1996—Pub. L. 104–294, §607(a), substituted “any State, Territory, Commonwealth, Possession, or District” for “any State, Territory, or District” in first par.
Pub. L. 104–294, §604(b)(14)(A), repealed Pub. L. 103–322, §320103(a)(1). See 1994 Amendment note below.
1994—Pub. L. 103–322, §330016(1)(L), substituted “They shall be fined under this title” for “They shall be fined not more than $10,000” in third par.
Pub. L. 103–322, §320201(a), substituted “person in any State” for “inhabitant of any State” in first par.
Pub. L. 103–322, §320103(a)(2)–(4), in third par., substituted “results from the acts committed in violation of this section or if such acts include kidnapping or an attempt to kidnap, aggravated sexual abuse or an attempt to commit aggravated sexual abuse, or an attempt to kill, they shall be fined under this title or imprisoned for any term of years or for life, or both” for “results, they shall be subject to imprisonment for any term of years or for life”.
Pub. L. 103–322, §320103(a)(1), which provided for amendment identical to Pub. L. 103–322, §330016(1)(L), above, was repealed by Pub. L. 104–294, §604(b)(14)(A).
Pub. L. 103–322, §60006(a), substituted “, or may be sentenced to death.” for period at end of third par.
1988—Pub. L. 100–690 struck out “of citizens” after “rights” in section catchline and substituted “inhabitant of any State, Territory, or District” for “citizen” in text.
1968—Pub. L. 90–284 increased limitation on fines from $5,000 to $10,000 and provided for imprisonment for any term of years or for life when death results.
Effective Date of 1996 Amendment
Amendment by section 604(b)(14)(A) of Pub. L. 104–294 effective Sept. 13, 1994, see section 604(d) of Pub. L. 104–294, set out as a note under section 13 of this title.
Short Title of 1996 Amendment
Pub. L. 104–155, §1, July 3, 1996, 110 Stat. 1392, provided that: “This Act [amending section 247 of this title and section 10602 of Title 42, The Public Health and Welfare, enacting provisions set out as a note under section 247 of this title, and amending provisions set out as a note under section 534 of Title 28, Judiciary and Judicial Procedure] may be cited as the ‘Church Arson Prevention Act of 1996’.”
Cross References
Action for neglect to prevent, see section 1986 of Title 42, The Public Health and Welfare.
Conspiracy to commit offense or to defraud United States, see section 371 of this title.
Conspiracy to interfere with civil rights, see section 1985 of Title 42, The Public Health and Welfare.
Proceedings in vindication of civil rights, see section 1988 of Title 42.