Treason is a crime that involves attacking a state authority to which one owes allegiance. In the United States, treason is defined in the Constitution, Article III, Section 3, as "levying war against . A person cannot be convicted of treason unless there are at least two witnesses to the same overt act, or on confession in open court. The penalty for treason in the United States is death or imprisonment not less than five years and a fine of not less than $10,000. Misprision of treason, which is the concealment of knowledge of the commission of any treason against the United States, is also a crime. The Treason Clause in the Constitution was included to guard against the historic use of treason prosecutions by repressive governments to silence otherwise legitimate political opposition.