Chapter 046

2015 -- H 5370 Enacted 05/21/2015

A N   A C T

RELATING TO CRIMINAL OFFENSES -- THREATS AND EXTORTION

Introduced By: Representatives Keable, Shekarchi, Craven, McKiernan, and Lally

Date Introduced: February 11, 2015

It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

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

Extortion" is hereby amended to read as follows:

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

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

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

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

making the threat toward the status or position of the public official, official; or because of some

other factor related to the official's public existence, shall be guilty of a felony and shall be

imprisoned for not more than five (5) years, or fined not more than five thousand dollars

($5,000), or both.

(b) For purposes of this section:

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

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

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

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

election to that office or who is appointed by the governor to serve as the director or his or her

designee of a state department which that is established, established and the qualifications and

duties of which are prescribed by statute to discharge a public duty for the state of Rhode Island;

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

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.

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LC001229

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