R.I. Gen. Laws § 15-15-1.
Definitions. (2006)
The following words as used in
this chapter have the following meanings:
(1)
"Courts" means the family
court.
(2)
"Domestic abuse" means the
occurrence of one or more of the following acts between present or former
family members, parents, stepparents, or persons who are or have been in a
substantive dating or engagement relationship within the past one year in
which at least one of the persons is a minor:
(i)
Attempting to cause or causing
physical harm;
(ii)
Placing another in fear of
imminent serious physical harm; or
(iii)
Causing another to engage
involuntarily in sexual relations by force, threat of force, or
duress.
(iv)
Stalking or
cyberstalking.
(3)
"Parents" mean persons who
together are the legal parents of one or more children, regardless of their
marital status or whether they have lived together at any
time.
(4)
"Present or former family
member" means the spouse, former spouse, minor children, stepchildren, or
persons who are related by blood or marriage.
(5)
"Substantive dating" or
"engagement relationship" means a significant and personal/intimate
relationship which shall be adjudged by the court's consideration by the
following factors:
(i)
The
length of time of the relationship;
(ii) The type of relationship;
and
(iii)
The
frequency of interaction between the parties.
(6)
"Stalking"
means harassing another person or willfully, maliciously and repeatedly
following another person with the intent to place that person in reasonable
fear of bodily injury;
(7)
"Cyberstalking" means
transmitting any communication by computer to any person or causing any person
to be contacted for the sole purpose of harassing that person or his or her
family;
(8)
"Harassing" means following a
knowing and willful course of conduct directed at a specific person with the
intent to seriously alarm, annoy, or bother the person, and which serves no
legitimate purpose. The course of conduct must be such as would cause a
reasonable person to suffer substantial emotional distress, or be in fear of
bodily injury;
(9)
"Course of conduct" means a
pattern of conduct composed of a series of acts over a period of time,
evidencing a continuity of purpose. Constitutionally protected activity is not
included within the meaning of "course of conduct."
R.I. Gen. Laws § 11-59-2.
Stalking prohibited. (2002)
(a)
Any person who: (1) harasses
another person; or (2) willfully, maliciously, and repeatedly follows another
person with the intent to place that person in reasonable fear of bodily
injury, is guilty of the crime of stalking.
(b)
Stalking shall be deemed a felony
punishable by imprisonment for not more than five (5) years, by a fine of not
more than ten thousand dollars ($ 10,000), or both.
R.I. Gen. Laws §
11-52-4.2.
Cyberstalking and cyberharassment
prohibited. (2008)
(a)
Whoever transmits any
communication by computer or other electronic device to any person or causes
any person to be contacted for the sole purpose of harassing that person or
his or her family is guilty of a misdemeanor, and shall be punished by a fine
of not more than five hundred dollars ($ 500), by imprisonment for not more
than one year, or both. For the purpose of this section, "harassing" means any
knowing and willful course of conduct directed at a specific person which
seriously alarms, annoys, or bothers the person, and which serves no
legitimate purpose. The course of conduct must be of a kind that would cause a
reasonable person to suffer substantial emotional distress, or be in fear of
bodily injury. "Course of conduct" means a pattern of conduct composed of a
series of acts over a period of time, evidencing a continuity of purpose.
Constitutionally protected activity is not included within the meaning of
"course of conduct."
(b)
A
second or subsequent conviction under subsection (a) of this section shall be
deemed a felony punishable by imprisonment for not more than two (2) years, by
a fine of not more than six thousand dollars ($ 6,000), or
both.