2004 Legislation
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HOUSE BILL NO. 573 – Stalking, penalty

HOUSE BILL NO. 573

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H0573................................by JUDICIARY, RULES AND ADMINISTRATION
STALKING - Repeals and adds to existing law to provide for the crime of
stalking in the first degree and second degree; to define terms; and to set
forth punishment.
                                                                        
01/28    House intro - 1st rdg - to printing
01/29    Rpt prt - to Jud

Bill Text


                                                                        
                                                                        
  ]]]]              LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF IDAHO             ]]]]
 Fifty-seventh Legislature                 Second Regular Session - 2004
                                                                        
                                                                        
                              IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
                                                                        
                                     HOUSE BILL NO. 573
                                                                        
                      BY JUDICIARY, RULES AND ADMINISTRATION COMMITTEE
                                                                        
  1                                        AN ACT
  2    RELATING TO THE CRIME OF STALKING; AMENDING SECTION  18-920,  IDAHO  CODE,  TO
  3        PROVIDE  A CODE REFERENCE; REPEALING SECTION 18-7905, IDAHO CODE, RELATING
  4        TO STALKING; AMENDING CHAPTER 79, TITLE 18, IDAHO CODE, BY THE ADDITION OF
  5        A NEW SECTION 18-7905, IDAHO CODE, TO PROVIDE FOR THE CRIME OF STALKING IN
  6        THE FIRST DEGREE, TO DEFINE TERMS AND TO SET  FORTH  PUNISHMENT;  AMENDING
  7        CHAPTER  79,  TITLE  18,  IDAHO  CODE,  BY  THE  ADDITION OF A NEW SECTION
  8        18-7906, IDAHO CODE, TO PROVIDE FOR STALKING  IN  THE  SECOND  DEGREE,  TO
  9        DEFINE  TERMS  AND  TO  SET FORTH PUNISHMENT; AND AMENDING SECTION 19-603,
 10        IDAHO CODE, TO PROVIDE A CODE REFERENCE AND DESCRIPTIVE LANGUAGE.
                                                                        
 11    Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Idaho:
                                                                        
 12        SECTION 1.  That Section 18-920, Idaho Code, be, and the  same  is  hereby
 13    amended to read as follows:
                                                                        
 14        18-920.  VIOLATION  OF NO CONTACT ORDER. (1) When a person is charged with
 15    or convicted of an offense  under  section  18-901,  18-903,  18-905,  18-907,
 16    18-909,  18-911,  18-913,  18-915,  18-918, 18-919, 18-6710, 18-6711, 18-7905,
 17    18-7906 or 39-6312, Idaho Code, or any other offense for which a  court  finds
 18    that  a  no  contact  order  is  appropriate, an order forbidding contact with
 19    another person may be issued. A no contact order may be imposed by  the  court
 20    or by Idaho criminal rule.
 21        (2)  A violation of a no contact order is committed when:
 22        (a)  A  person  has been charged or convicted under any offense defined in
 23        subsection (1) of this section; and
 24        (b)  A no contact order has been issued, either by a court or by an  Idaho
 25        criminal rule; and
 26        (c)  The  person charged or convicted has had contact with the stated per-
 27        son in violation of an order.
 28        (3)  A violation of a no contact order is punishable by a fine not exceed-
 29    ing one thousand dollars ($1,000) or by imprisonment in the county jail not to
 30    exceed one (1) year, or both. No bond shall be set for  this  violation  until
 31    the  person  charged is brought before the court which will set bond. Further,
 32    any such violation may result in the increase, revocation or  modification  of
 33    the  bond  set  in  the  underlying  charge for which the no contact order was
 34    imposed.
 35        (4)  A peace officer may arrest without a warrant and take into custody  a
 36    person  whom the peace officer has probable cause to believe has violated a no
 37    contact order issued under this section if the person restrained had notice of
 38    the order.
                                                                        
 39        SECTION 2.  That Section 18-7905, Idaho Code, be, and the same  is  hereby
 40    repealed.
                                                                        
 41        SECTION  3.  That  Chapter  79,  Title 18, Idaho Code, be, and the same is
                                                                        
                                           2
                                                                        
  1    hereby amended by the addition thereto of a NEW SECTION, to be known and  des-
  2    ignated as Section 18-7905, Idaho Code, and to read as follows:
                                                                        
  3        18-7905.  STALKING  IN THE FIRST DEGREE. (1) A person commits the crime of
  4    stalking in the first degree if the person  violates  section  18-7906,  Idaho
  5    Code, and:
  6        (a)  The actions constituting the offense are in violation of a temporary
  7        restraining  order,  protection  order, no contact order or injunction, or
  8        any combination thereof;
  9        (b)  The actions constituting the offense are in violation of a  condition
 10        of probation or parole;
 11        (c)  The victim is under the age of sixteen (16) years;
 12        (d)  At  any  time  during the course of conduct constituting the offense,
 13        the defendant possessed a deadly weapon;
 14        (e)  The defendant has been previously convicted of  a  crime  under  this
 15        section  or  section 18-7906, Idaho Code, or a law of another jurisdiction
 16        with elements similar to a crime under this section  or  section  18-7906,
 17        Idaho Code; or
 18        (f)  The  defendant  has  been  previously  convicted  of  a  crime, or an
 19        attempt, solicitation or conspiracy to commit a crime, involving the  same
 20        victim  as  the  present  offense under any of the following provisions of
 21        Idaho Code or a law of another jurisdiction with elements similar  to  the
 22        following provisions:
 23             (i)    Chapter 9, title 18;
 24             (ii)   Chapter 15, title 18;
 25             (iii)  Chapter 61, title 18;
 26             (iv)   Section 18-4014 (administering poison with intent to kill);
 27             (v)    Section 18-4015 (assault with intent to murder);
 28             (vi)   Section 18-4501 (kidnapping);
 29             (vii)  Section 18-5501 (poisoning);
 30             (viii) Section 18-6608 (forcible sexual penetration by use of foreign
 31             object);
 32             (ix)   Section 18-7902 (malicious harassment); or
 33             (x)    Section 18-8103 (act of terrorism).
 34        (2)  In  this  section, "course of conduct" and "victim" have the meanings
 35    given in section 18-7906(2), Idaho Code.
 36        (3)  Stalking in the first degree is a felony punishable  by  a  fine  not
 37    exceeding  ten  thousand dollars ($10,000) or imprisonment in the state prison
 38    for not less than one (1) year nor more than five (5) years, or by  both  such
 39    fine and imprisonment.
                                                                        
 40        SECTION  4.  That  Chapter  79,  Title 18, Idaho Code, be, and the same is
 41    hereby amended by the addition thereto of a NEW SECTION, to be known and  des-
 42    ignated as Section 18-7906, Idaho Code, and to read as follows:
                                                                        
 43        18-7906.  STALKING IN THE SECOND DEGREE. (1) A person commits the crime of
 44    stalking in the second degree if the person knowingly:
 45        (a)  Engages  in  a  course  of  conduct  that seriously alarms, annoys or
 46        harasses the victim and is such as would cause a  reasonable  person  sub-
 47        stantial emotional distress; or
 48        (b)  Engages  in a course of conduct such as would cause a reasonable per-
 49        son to be in fear of death or physical injury, or in fear of the death  or
 50        physical injury of a family member.
 51        (2)  As used in this section:
 52        (a)  "Course  of  conduct"  means  repeated  acts of nonconsensual contact
                                                                        
                                           3
                                                                        
  1        involving the victim or a family member, provided however, that  constitu-
  2        tionally  protected  activity  is  not included within the meaning of this
  3        definition.
  4        (b)  "Family member" means:
  5             (i)   A spouse,  child,  grandchild,  parent,  grandparent,  sibling,
  6             uncle, aunt, nephew or niece of the victim, whether related by blood,
  7             marriage or adoption;
  8             (ii)  A person who lives, or has previously lived, in a spousal rela-
  9             tionship with the victim;
 10             (iii) A person who lives in the same household as the victim; or
 11             (iv)  A  person who is a former spouse of the victim or who is or has
 12             been in a dating or engagement relationship with the victim;
 13        (c)  "Nonconsensual contact" means any contact with another person that is
 14        initiated or continued without that person's consent, that is  beyond  the
 15        scope  of  the consent provided by that person, or that is in disregard of
 16        that person's expressed desire that the contact be avoided  or  discontin-
 17        ued. "Nonconsensual contact" includes, but is not limited to:
 18             (i)   Following that person or maintaining surveillance, including by
 19             electronic means, on that person;
 20             (ii)  Approaching  or confronting that person in a public place or on
 21             private property;
 22             (iii) Appearing at the workplace or residence of that person;
 23             (iv)  Entering onto or remaining on property owned, leased  or  occu-
 24             pied by that person;
 25             (v)   Contacting  that  person  by telephone or causing that person's
 26             telephone to ring repeatedly or continuously regardless of whether  a
 27             conversation ensues;
 28             (vi)  Sending mail or electronic communications to that person; or
 29             (vii) Placing  an  object  on,  or  delivering an object to, property
 30             owned, leased or occupied by that person;
 31        (d)  "Victim" means a person who is the target of a course of conduct.
 32        (3)  Stalking in the second degree is punishable by  imprisonment  in  the
 33    county  jail  for not more than one (1) year or by a fine of not more than one
 34    thousand dollars ($1,000), or by both such fine and imprisonment.
                                                                        
 35        SECTION 5.  That Section 19-603, Idaho Code, be, and the  same  is  hereby
 36    amended to read as follows:
                                                                        
 37        19-603.  WHEN PEACE OFFICER MAY ARREST. A peace officer may make an arrest
 38    in  obedience to a warrant delivered to him, or may, without a warrant, arrest
 39    a person:
 40        1.  For a public offense committed or attempted in his presence.
 41        2.  When a person arrested has committed a felony,  although  not  in  his
 42    presence.
 43        3.  When  a  felony has in fact been committed and he has reasonable cause
 44    for believing the person arrested to have committed it.
 45        4.  On a charge made, upon a reasonable cause, of the commission of a fel-
 46    ony by the party arrested.
 47        5.  At night, when there is reasonable cause to believe that he  has  com-
 48    mitted a felony.
 49        6.  When  upon  immediate  response to a report of a commission of a crime
 50    there is probable cause to believe, that the person arrested has  committed  a
 51    violation  of  section  18-902  (assault),  18-903 (battery), 18-918 (domestic
 52    assault or battery), 18-7905 (first degree stalking), 18-7906  (second  degree
 53    stalking),  39-6312 (violation of a protection order), or 18-920 (violation of
                                                                        
                                           4
                                                                        
  1    a no contact order).
  2        7.  When there is reasonable cause to believe, based  upon  physical  evi-
  3    dence  observed by the officer or statements made in the presence of the offi-
  4    cer upon immediate response to a report of a commission of a crime  aboard  an
  5    aircraft, that the person arrested has committed such a crime.

Statement of Purpose / Fiscal Impact



                       STATEMENT OF PURPOSE
                             RS 13730
This legislation breaks stalking out into first-degree and
second-degree stalking.  First-degree stalking is a felony and is
committed when an individual commits second-degree stalking and
one of the enumerated aggravating factors is present.  Such
factors include the stalking of a victim who is under sixteen
years of age and the stalking of a victim against whom certain
crimes have already been committed by the perpetrator.  The
penalty for second-degree stalking is the same as that already
provided in Idaho Code.  Definitions are also provided which
better detail "family member" and "nonconsensual contact."
                          FISCAL IMPACT
The fiscal impact is difficult to determine with certainty as it
depends upon the increased number of offenders charged with and
convicted of felony stalking.  The impact to the general fund
will be equal to the cost of imprisoning the additional number of
offenders, if any, charged, convicted and sentenced to prison
under the revised felony section of this code.



Contact
Name: Representative Debbie Field 
Phone: 332-1000




STATEMENT OF PURPOSE/FISCAL NOTE                     H 573