Which statement describes 18 U.S.C. § 241?

• A. Punishes the conspiracy to commit the act
• B. Cannot be committed by a person acting alone
• C. Can be committed by private person
• D. Punishes the act itself

Answer: (A)

18 U.S.C. § 241 targets the crime of conspiring to injure, oppress, threaten, or intimidate someone in the free exercise or enjoyment of rights protected by the Constitution or federal law. The key element is a conspiracy—two or more people agreeing to carry out the act of depriving someone of those rights. Because it’s a conspiracy charge, the offense lies in the agreement to violate rights, not in the actual deprivation itself. The underlying act, once committed, is punished under a different provision (often when authority or force is involved, the deprivation is charged under the related statute). The statute can apply to private individuals as well as government actors, as long as there are at least two people involved.