2017 -- H 5115

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LC000553

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2017

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A N   A C T

RELATING TO CRIMINAL OFFENSES -- GENERAL PROVISIONS

     

     Introduced By: Representatives Ajello, Regunberg, Knight, Blazejewski, and Craven

     Date Introduced: January 13, 2017

     Referred To: House Judiciary

     It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

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     SECTION 1. Section 11-1-2 of the General Laws in Chapter 11-1 entitled "General

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Provisions" is hereby amended to read as follows:

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     11-1-2. Felony, misdemeanor -- Petty misdemeanor, and violation distinguished.

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     Unless otherwise provided, any criminal offense which at any given time may be

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punished by imprisonment for a term of more than one year, or by a fine of more than one

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thousand dollars ($1,000), is declared to be a felony; any criminal offense which may be

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punishable by imprisonment for a term of more than six (6) months and not exceeding one year,

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or solely by a fine of not more than one thousand dollars ($1,000), or both, is declared to be a

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misdemeanor; any criminal offense which may be punishable by imprisonment for a term not

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exceeding six (6) months solely or by a fine of not more than five hundred dollars ($500), or both,

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and not more than one thousand dollars ($1,000) is declared to be a petty misdemeanor; and any

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offense which may be punished by only a fine of not more than five hundred dollars ($500) is

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declared to be a violation.

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     SECTION 2. Section 11-5-2 of the General Laws in Chapter 11-5 entitled "Assaults" is

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hereby amended to read as follows:

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     11-5-2. Felony assault.

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     (a) Every person who shall make an assault or battery, or both, with a dangerous weapon,

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or with acid or other dangerous substance, or by fire, or an assault or battery which results in

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serious bodily injury, shall be guilty of a felony assault. If such assault results in serious bodily

 

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injury it shall be punished by imprisonment for not more than twenty (20) years. If such assault

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involves the use of a firearm, regardless of the extent of the injury, it shall be punished by

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imprisonment for not more than twenty (20) years. Every other felony assault which results in

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bodily injury or no injury shall be punished by imprisonment for not more than six (6) years.

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     (b) Where the provisions of "The Domestic Violence Prevention Act", chapter 29 of title

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12, are applicable, the penalties for violation of this section shall also include the penalties as

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provided in § 12-29-5.

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     (c) "Serious bodily injury" means physical injury that:

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     (1) Creates a substantial risk of death;

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     (2) Causes protracted loss or impairment of the function of any bodily part, member or

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organ; or

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     (3) Causes serious permanent disfigurement or circumcises, excises or infibulates the

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whole or any part of the labia majora or labia minora or clitoris of a person.

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     (d) "Bodily injury" means physical injury that causes physical pain, illness, or any

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impairment of physical condition.

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     (e) "Firearm" has the same meaning as defined in §11-47-2.

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     SECTION 3. Section 11-41-5 of the General Laws in Chapter 11-41 entitled "Theft,

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Embezzlement, False Pretenses, and Misappropriation" is hereby amended to read as follows:

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     11-41-5. Penalties for larceny.

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     (a) Any person convicted of any offense under §§ 11-41-1 -- 11-41-6, except § 11-41-3,

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if shall be punished as follows, according to the value of the property or money stolen, received,

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embezzled, fraudulently appropriated, converted, or obtained, received, taken, or secreted by false

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pretenses or otherwise with intent to cheat, defraud, embezzle, or fraudulently convert:

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     (1) If the value exceeds one thousand five hundred dollars ($1,500), and is less than five

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thousand dollars ($5,000), by imprisonment for not more than three (3) years or by a fine of not

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more than one thousand five hundred dollars ($1,500), or both;

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     (2) If the value exceeds five thousand dollars ($5,000), but is less than ten thousand

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dollars ($10,000), by imprisonment for not more than six (6) years or by a fine of not more than

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three thousand dollars ($3,000), or both; and

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     (3) If the value exceeds ten thousand dollars ($10,000), or if the property is a firearm as

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defined in § 11-47-5.1, regardless of its value, the person shall be punished by imprisonment for

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not more than ten (10) years or by a fine of not more than five thousand dollars ($5,000), or both.

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If the value of the property or money does not exceed one thousand five hundred dollars ($1,500),

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the person shall be punished by imprisonment for not more than one year, or by a fine of not more

 

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than five hundred dollars ($500), or both. Any person convicted of an offense under § 11-41-2

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who shall be found to have knowingly obtained the property from a person under eighteen (18)

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years of age, notwithstanding the value of the property or money, shall be punished by

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imprisonment for not more than ten (10) years or by a fine of not more than five thousand dollars

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($5,000), or both.

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     (b) Any person convicted of an offense in violation of §§ 11-41-1 -- 11-41-7, except §

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11-41-3, which involves a victim who is a person sixty-five (65) years of age or older at the time

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of the offense and which involves property or money stolen, received, embezzled, fraudulently

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appropriated, converted, or obtained, received, taken, or secreted by false pretenses or otherwise

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with intent to cheat, defraud, embezzle, or fraudulently convert, with a value in excess of five

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hundred dollars ($500), shall be punished by imprisonment for not less than two (2) years but not

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more than fifteen (15) years or by a fine of not more than five thousand dollars ($5,000), or both.

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If the value of the property or money does not exceed five hundred dollars ($500), the person

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shall be punished by imprisonment for not less than one year but not more than five (5) years or

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by a fine of not more than three thousand dollars ($3,000), or both.

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     SECTION 4. This act shall take effect upon passage and applies to offenses committed

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on or after the effective date.

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EXPLANATION

BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

OF

A N   A C T

RELATING TO CRIMINAL OFFENSES -- GENERAL PROVISIONS

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     This act would clarify what constitutes a felony, misdemeanor, and petty misdemeanor in

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the definition section of the general laws, and would also amend the penalties for certain criminal

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offenses involving assault and larceny, based on the value of property stolen.

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     This act would take effect upon passage and applies to offenses committed on or after the

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effective date.

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