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S1353................................................by JUDICIARY AND RULES
TELEPHONE CALL - EMERGENCY - Adds to existing law to provide that the
malicious interruption of an emergency telephone call is a crime; to
provide penalties; and to provide a definition.
01/31 Senate intro - 1st rdg - to printing
02/01 Rpt prt - to Jud
|||| LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF IDAHO ||||
Fifty-sixth Legislature Second Regular Session - 2002
IN THE SENATE
SENATE BILL NO. 1353
BY JUDICIARY AND RULES COMMITTEE
1 AN ACT
2 RELATING TO INTERRUPTION OF AN EMERGENCY TELEPHONE CALL; AMENDING CHAPTER 67,
3 TITLE 18, IDAHO CODE, BY THE ADDITION OF A NEW SECTION 18-6711B, IDAHO
4 CODE, TO PROVIDE FOR THE CRIME OF INTENTIONAL INTERRUPTION OF AN EMERGENCY
5 TELEPHONE CALL, TO PROVIDE PENALTIES AND TO PROVIDE A DEFINITION.
6 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Idaho:
7 SECTION 1. That Chapter 67, Title 18, Idaho Code, be, and the same is
8 hereby amended by the addition thereto of a NEW SECTION, to be known and des-
9 ignated as Section 18-6711B, Idaho Code, and to read as follows:
10 18-6711B. INTERRUPTION OF EMERGENCY TELEPHONE CALL. (1) Any person who
11 intentionally interrupts any person calling or attempting to call the number
12 "911" or other police or medical emergency number from either a public or pri-
13 vate telephone for the purpose of making a report or complaint of an emergency
14 nature, either by taking down, removing, disconnecting or damaging a tele-
15 phone for the purpose of stopping the emergency transmission of information,
16 shall be guilty of a misdemeanor on the first offense and shall be punished by
17 incarceration in the county jail not in excess of six (6) months, or by a fine
18 not to exceed one thousand dollars ($1,000), or by both such fine and incar-
19 ceration.
20 (2) For a second and subsequent conviction of a violation of the provi-
21 sions of this section, the person shall be guilty of a felony and shall be
22 punishable by imprisonment in the state prison for a term not exceeding five
23 (5) years, or by a fine not exceeding fifty thousand dollars ($50,000), or by
24 both such fine and imprisonment.
25 (3) For purposes of this section, the term "telephone" shall mean any
26 device which provides or facilitates the transmission of messages, signals,
27 facsimiles, video images or other communication between persons who are physi-
28 cally separated from each other by means of telephone, telegraph, cable, wire
29 or the projection of energy without physical connection (wireless or cellular)
30 between persons who are physically separated from each other.
STATEMENT OF PURPOSE
RS ll537C2
This bill creates penalties for the new crime of malicious
interruption of an emergency (91l)telephone call, a frequent
problem in situations of domestic violence. The first offense
will be a misdemeanor and subsequent offenses a felony.
FISCAL IMPACT
The cost will equal that of incarcerating anyone found guilty and
given time in jail or prison.
Contact
Name: Laura Bonneville, Kootenai Prosecutor’s Office
Phone: 208.769.4465
Sen. Betsy Dunklin
Rep. Wendy Jaquet
STATEMENT OF PURPOSE/FISCAL NOTE S 1353