2015 -- S 0627

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LC001284

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2015

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A N   A C T

RELATING TO CRIMINAL OFFENSES -- THREATS AND EXTORTION

     

     Introduced By: Senators Lynch, Nesselbush, Lombardi, Archambault, and Conley

     Date Introduced: March 05, 2015

     Referred To: Senate Judiciary

     It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

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     SECTION 1. Section 11-42-4 of the General Laws in Chapter 11-42 entitled "Threats and

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Extortion" is hereby amended to read as follows:

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     11-42-4. Threats to public officials. -- (a) Whoever knowingly and willfully delivers or

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conveys, directly or indirectly, a verbal or written threat to take the life of, or to inflict bodily

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harm upon, a public official or a member of his or her immediate family because of the

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performance or nonperformance of some public duty, because of hostility of the person making

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the threat toward the status or position of the public official, or because of some other factor

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related to the official's public existence, shall be guilty of a felony and shall be imprisoned for not

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more than five (5) years, or fined not more than five thousand dollars ($5,000), or both.

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      (b) For purposes of this section:

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      (1) "Public official" means a person who is elected or appointed to office in accordance

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with the constitution, a statute, or a city or town charter, or who is a judge, magistrate, assistant

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attorney general, special assistant attorney general, or law enforcement officer, or in the case of

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an elective office any person who has filed the required documents for nomination or election to

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that office or who is appointed by the governor to serve as the director or his or her designee of a

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state department which is established, and the qualifications and duties of which are prescribed by

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statute to discharge a public duty for the state of Rhode Island;

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      (2) "Immediate family" means a public official's spouse, child, or children.

 

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     SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.

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EXPLANATION

BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

OF

A N   A C T

RELATING TO CRIMINAL OFFENSES -- THREATS AND EXTORTION

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     This act would add court magistrates to the list of covered public officials that are

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protected from felonious threats.

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     This act would take effect upon passage.

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