MISPRISION, a neglect, oversight, or contempt. It is chiefly applied to mis prision of treason, which is a negligence in not revealing treason, or felony, to a magistrate, where a person knows it to be committed. It is also applied to great misdemeanours. It is, therefore, nega tive or positive, as it is an act or a con cealment of crime. To avoid misprision of treason, the party must make full dis covery to a magistrate, and not merely to a private person. To counterfeit fo reign coin, not current here, is misprision of treason. A misprision of felony may be by concealing it, or by taking back again a man's goods which have stolen, which is now made felony. Concealing treasure trove falls under this head. In the class of positive misprisions, or high misdemeanours, are the mal-administra lion of high officers, and embezzling pub lic money. Contempts against the king's authority, some of which incur a priemn.
nire ; contempts against the king's palace or courts. In the palace, if blood be drawn in a malicious assault, it is punish able by perpetual imprisonment, fine, and loss of the offender's right hand, 33 Henry VI1L c. 12. And striking, whether blood is drawn or not, in the king's supe rior courts, or at the assizes, is punish able with equal or greater seventy. A rescue of a prisoner in such a court is pu nished with perpetual imprisonment, and forfeiture of goods, and the profit of lands during life.
Of a less degree, are reckoned also the injurious treatment of those who are un der the immediate protection of a court of justice, the dissuading a witness from giving evidence, and the disclosing, by a grand jury, to the person indicted, of the evidence against him.