(1) A person commits the offense of deceptive business practices if in the course of engaging in a business, occupation, or profession, the person purposely or knowingly:
- (a) uses or possesses for use a false weight or measure or any other device for falsely determining or recording any quality or quantity;
- (b) sells, offers, exposes for sale, or delivers less than the represented quantity of any commodity or service;
- (c) takes or attempts to take more than the represented quantity of any commodity or service when as buyer the person furnished the weight or measure;
- (d) sells, offers, or exposes for sale adulterated commodities;
- (e) sells, offers, or exposes for sale mislabeled commodities; or
- (f) makes a deceptive statement regarding the quantity or price of goods in any advertisement addressed to the public.
- (2) "Adulterated" means varying from the standard of composition or quality prescribed by statute or lawfully promulgated administrative regulation or, if none, as set by established commercial usage.
(3) "Mislabeled" means:
- (a) varying from the standard of truth or disclosure in labeling prescribed by statute or lawfully promulgated administrative regulation or, if none, as set by established commercial usage; or
- (b) represented as being another person's produce though otherwise labeled accurately as to quality and quantity.
- (4) A person convicted of the offense of deceptive business practices shall be fined not to exceed $500 or be imprisoned in the county jail for a term not to exceed 6 months, or both.
History: En. 94-6-308 by Sec. 1, Ch. 513, L. 1973; R.C.M. 1947, 94-6-308; amd. Sec. 1672, Ch. 56, L. 2009.