940.305 Taking hostages.
(1) Except as provided in sub. (2), whoever by force or threat of imminent force seizes, confines or restrains a person without the person's consent and with the intent to use the person as a hostage in order to influence a person to perform or not to perform some action demanded by the actor is guilty of a Class B felony.
(2) Whoever commits a violation specified under sub. (1) is guilty of a Class C felony if, before the time of the actor's arrest, each person who is held as a hostage is released without bodily harm.
History: 1979 c. 118; 1993 a. 194; 2001 a. 109.
The constitutionality of s. 940.305 is upheld. State v. Bertrand, 162 Wis. 2d 411, 469 N.W.2d 873 (Ct. App. 1991).