California · Penal Code

PEN §641: Every person who, by the payment or promise of any bribe, inducement, or reward, procures or attempts to procure any telegraph or telephone agent, operator, or employee to disclose any private message

Felony

What this law says, in plain English

A person who bribes a telegraph or telephone employee to disclose private messages or uses such obtained information commits a crime punishable under Section 639.

Read the full statutory text
Every person who, by the payment or promise of any bribe, inducement, or reward, procures or attempts to procure any telegraph or telephone agent, operator, or employee to disclose any private message, or the contents, purport, substance, or meaning thereof, or offers to any agent, operator, or employee any bribe, compensation, or reward for the disclosure of any private information received by him or her by reason of his or her trust as agent, operator, or employee, or uses or attempts to use any information so obtained, is punishable as provided in Section 639.

Verify at the official source: California legislative text

Facing this? Know exactly what happens next.

MOFRD turns this code section into your situation: the deadlines that apply to you, the forms your county uses, and the resolution paths people in your position actually take. Free for 3 days — no card required.

This page is legal information, not legal advice. Code text is sourced from official publications and may lag amendments — always confirm at the official source linked above. Plain-English summaries and relationship data are AI-derived and reviewed on an ongoing basis; verify with a licensed attorney before acting.