2020 -- S 2446 | |
======== | |
LC004332 | |
======== | |
STATE OF RHODE ISLAND | |
IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY | |
JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2020 | |
____________ | |
A N A C T | |
RELATING TO COURTS AND CIVIL PROCEDURE -- COURTS | |
| |
Introduced By: Senators Goodwin, Euer, Coyne, and McKenney | |
Date Introduced: February 13, 2020 | |
Referred To: Senate Judiciary | |
(Judiciary) | |
It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows: | |
1 | SECTION 1. Sections 8-8.1-1 and 8-8.1-3 of the General Laws in Chapter 8-8.1 entitled |
2 | "Domestic Assault" are hereby amended to read as follows: |
3 | 8-8.1-1. Definitions. |
4 | The following words as used in this chapter shall have the following meanings: |
5 | (1) "Cohabitants" means emancipated minors or persons eighteen (18) years of age or |
6 | older, not related by blood or marriage, who together are not the legal parents of one or more |
7 | children, and who have resided together within the preceding three (3) years or who are residing |
8 | in the same living quarters. |
9 | (2) "Course of conduct" means a pattern of conduct composed of a series of acts over a |
10 | period of time, evidencing a continuity of purpose. Constitutionally protected activity is not |
11 | included within the meaning of "course of conduct." |
12 | (3) "Courts" means the district court. |
13 | (4) "Cyberstalking" means transmitting any communication by computer to any person or |
14 | causing any person to be contacted for the sole purpose of harassing that person or his or her |
15 | family. |
16 | (5) "Domestic abuse" means the occurrence of one or more of the following acts between |
17 | cohabitants or against the minor child of a cohabitant, or the occurrence of one or more of the |
18 | following acts between persons who are or have been in a substantive dating or engagement |
19 | relationship within the past one year or against a minor child in the custody of the plaintiff; |
| |
1 | "domestic abuse" shall be determined by the court's consideration of the following factors: |
2 | (i) The length of time of the relationship; |
3 | (ii) The type of the relationship; |
4 | (iii) The frequency of the interaction between the parties; |
5 | (iv) Attempting to cause or causing physical harm; |
6 | (v) Placing another in fear of imminent serious physical harm; |
7 | (vi) Causing another to engage involuntarily in sexual relations by force, threat of force, |
8 | or duress; or |
9 | (vii) Stalking or cyberstalking. |
10 | (6) "Harassing" means following a knowing and willful course of conduct directed at a |
11 | specific person with the intent to seriously alarm, annoy, or bother the person, and which serves |
12 | no legitimate purpose. The course of conduct must be such as would cause a reasonable person to |
13 | suffer substantial emotional distress, or be in fear of bodily injury. |
14 | (7) "Sole legal interest" means defendant has an ownership interest in the residence and |
15 | plaintiff does not; or defendant's name is on the lease and plaintiff's is not. |
16 | (8) "Stalking" means harassing another person or willfully, maliciously and repeatedly |
17 | following another person with the intent to place that person in reasonable fear of bodily injury. |
18 | 8-8.1-3. Protective orders -- Penalty -- Jurisdiction. |
19 | (a) A person suffering from domestic abuse may file a complaint in the district court |
20 | requesting any order which will protect her or him from the abuse, including but not limited to the |
21 | following: |
22 | (1) Ordering that the defendant be restrained and enjoined from contacting, assaulting, |
23 | molesting, or otherwise interfering with the plaintiff at home, on the street, or elsewhere, whether |
24 | the defendant is an adult or minor; |
25 | (2) Ordering the defendant to vacate the household forthwith, unless the defendant holds |
26 | sole legal interest in the household; |
27 | (3) Upon motion by the plaintiff, his or her address shall be released only at the discretion |
28 | of the district court judge; |
29 | (4) Ordering the defendant to surrender physical possession of all firearms in his or her |
30 | possession, care, custody, or control and shall further order a person restrained not to purchase or |
31 | receive, or attempt to purchase or receive, any firearms while the protective order is in effect. The |
32 | defendant shall surrender said firearms within twenty-four (24) hours of notice of the protective |
33 | order to the Rhode Island state police or local police department or to a federally licensed |
34 | firearms dealer. |
| LC004332 - Page 2 of 7 |
1 | (i) A person ordered to surrender possession of any firearm(s) pursuant to this section |
2 | shall, within seventy-two (72) hours after being served with the order, either: |
3 | (A) File with the court a receipt showing the firearm(s) was physically surrendered to the |
4 | Rhode Island state police or local police department, or to a federally licensed firearm dealer; or |
5 | (B) Attest to the court that, at the time of the order, the person had no firearms in his or |
6 | her immediate physical possession or control, or subject to his or her immediate physical |
7 | possession or control, and that the person, at the time of the attestation, has no firearms in his or |
8 | her immediate physical possession or control or subject to his or her immediate physical |
9 | possession or control. |
10 | (ii) If a person restrained under this section transfers a firearm(s) to a federally licensed |
11 | firearms dealer pursuant to this section, the person restrained under this section may instruct the |
12 | federally licensed firearms dealer to sell the firearm(s) or to transfer ownership in accordance |
13 | with state and federal law, to a qualified named individual who is not a member of the person's |
14 | dwelling house, who is not related to the person by blood, marriage, or relationship as defined by |
15 | § 15-15-1(7), and who is not prohibited from possessing firearms under state or federal law. The |
16 | owner of any firearm(s) sold shall receive any financial value received from its sale, less the cost |
17 | associated with taking possession of, storing, and transferring of the firearm(s). |
18 | (iii) Every individual to whom possession of a firearm(s) is transferred pursuant to this |
19 | subsection shall be prohibited from transferring or returning any firearm(s) to the person |
20 | restrained under this section while the protective order remains in effect and shall be informed of |
21 | this prohibition. Any knowing violation of this subsection is a felony that shall be punishable by a |
22 | fine of not more than one thousand dollars ($1,000), or by imprisonment for a term of not less |
23 | than one year and not more than five (5) years, or both. |
24 | (iv) An individual to whom possession of a firearm(s) is transferred pursuant to this |
25 | subsection shall return a firearm(s) to the person formerly restrained under this section only if the |
26 | person formerly restrained under this section provides documentation issued by a court indicating |
27 | that the restraining order issued pursuant to this section that prohibited the person from |
28 | purchasing, carrying, transporting, or possessing firearms has expired and has not been extended. |
29 | (b) After notice to the respondent and after a hearing, which shall be held within fifteen |
30 | (15) days of surrendering said firearms, the court, in addition to any other restrictions, may, for |
31 | any protective order issued or renewed on or after July 1, 2017, continue the order of surrender, |
32 | and shall further order a person restrained under this section not to purchase or receive, or attempt |
33 | to purchase or receive, any firearms while the protective order is in effect. |
34 | (c) The district court shall provide a notice on all forms requesting a protective order that |
| LC004332 - Page 3 of 7 |
1 | a person restrained under this section shall be ordered pursuant to § 11-47-5, to surrender |
2 | possession or control of any firearms and not to purchase or receive, or attempt to purchase or |
3 | receive, any firearms while the restraining order is in effect. The form shall further provide that |
4 | any person who has surrendered their firearms shall be afforded a hearing within fifteen (15) days |
5 | of surrendering their firearms. |
6 | (d) Any firearm surrendered in accordance with this section to the Rhode Island state |
7 | police or local police department shall be returned to the person formerly restrained under this |
8 | section upon their request when: |
9 | (1) The person formerly restrained under this section produces documentation issued by a |
10 | court indicating that the restraining order issued pursuant to this section that prohibited the person |
11 | from purchasing, carrying, transporting, or possessing firearms has expired and has not been |
12 | extended; and |
13 | (2) The law enforcement agency in possession of the firearms determines that the person |
14 | formerly restrained under this section is not otherwise prohibited from possessing a firearm under |
15 | state or federal law. |
16 | (3) The person required to surrender his or her firearms pursuant to this section shall not |
17 | be responsible for any costs of storage of any firearms surrendered pursuant to this section. |
18 | (e) The Rhode Island state police are authorized to develop rules and procedures |
19 | pertaining to the storage and return of firearms surrendered to the Rhode Island state police or |
20 | local police departments pursuant to this section. The Rhode Island state police may consult with |
21 | the Rhode Island Police Chiefs' Association in developing rules and procedures. |
22 | (f) Nothing in this section shall be construed to limit, expand, or in any way modify |
23 | orders issued under §§ 12-29-4 or 15-5-19. |
24 | (g) Nothing in this section shall limit a defendant's right under existing law to petition the |
25 | court at a later date for modification of the order. |
26 | (h) The court shall immediately notify the person suffering from domestic abuse whose |
27 | complaint gave rise to the protective order and the law enforcement agency where the person |
28 | restrained under this section resides of the hearing. |
29 | (i) The person suffering from domestic abuse, local law enforcement, and the person |
30 | restrained under this section shall all have an opportunity to be present and to testify when the |
31 | court considers the petition. |
32 | (j) At the hearing, the person restrained under this section shall have the burden of |
33 | showing, by clear and convincing evidence, that, if his or her firearm rights were restored, he or |
34 | she would not pose a danger to the person suffering from domestic abuse or to any other person. |
| LC004332 - Page 4 of 7 |
1 | (1) In determining whether to restore a person's firearm rights, the court shall examine all |
2 | relevant evidence, including, but not limited to: the complaint seeking a protective order; the |
3 | criminal record of the person restrained under this section; the mental health history of the person |
4 | restrained under this section; any evidence that the person restrained under this section has, since |
5 | being served with the order, engaged in violent or threatening behavior against the person |
6 | suffering from domestic abuse or any other person. |
7 | (2) If the court determines, after a review of all relevant evidence and after all parties |
8 | have had an opportunity to be heard, that the person restrained under this section would not pose |
9 | a danger to the person suffering from domestic abuse or to any other person if his or her firearm |
10 | rights were restored, then the court may grant the petition and modify the protective order and lift |
11 | the firearm prohibition. |
12 | (3) If the court lifts a person's firearms prohibition pursuant to this subsection, the court |
13 | shall issue the person written notice that he or she is no longer prohibited under this section from |
14 | purchasing or possessing firearms while the protective order is in effect. |
15 | (k) The prohibition against possessing a firearm(s) due solely to the existence of a |
16 | domestic violence restraining order issued under this section shall not apply with respect to sworn |
17 | peace officers as defined in § 12-7-21 and active members of military service, including members |
18 | of the reserve components thereof, who are required by law or departmental policy to carry |
19 | departmental firearms while on duty or any person who is required by his or her employment to |
20 | carry a firearm in the performance of his or her duties. Any individual exempted pursuant to this |
21 | exception may possess a firearm only during the course of his or her employment. Any firearm |
22 | required for employment must be stored at the place of employment when not being possessed for |
23 | employment use; all other firearm(s) must be surrendered in accordance with this section. |
24 | (l) Any violation of the aforementioned protective order shall subject the defendant to |
25 | being found in contempt of court. |
26 | (m) No order shall issue under this section that would have the effect of compelling a |
27 | defendant who has the sole legal interest in a residence to vacate that residence. |
28 | (n) The contempt order shall not be exclusive and shall not preclude any other available |
29 | civil or criminal remedies. Any relief granted by the court shall be for a fixed period of time not |
30 | to exceed three (3) years, at the expiration of which time the court may extend any order upon |
31 | motion of the plaintiff for such additional time as it deems necessary to protect the plaintiff from |
32 | abuse. The court may modify its order at any time upon motion of either party. |
33 | (o) Any violation of a protective order under this chapter of which the defendant has |
34 | actual notice shall be a misdemeanor that shall be punished by a fine of no more than one |
| LC004332 - Page 5 of 7 |
1 | thousand dollars ($1,000) or by imprisonment for not more than one year, or both. |
2 | (p) The penalties for violation of this section shall also include the penalties provided |
3 | under § 12-29-5. |
4 | (q) "Actual notice" means that the defendant has received a copy of the order by service |
5 | thereof or by being handed a copy of the order by a police officer pursuant to § 8-8.1-5(d). |
6 | (r) The district court shall have criminal jurisdiction over all violations of this chapter. |
7 | SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage. |
======== | |
LC004332 | |
======== | |
| LC004332 - Page 6 of 7 |
EXPLANATION | |
BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL | |
OF | |
A N A C T | |
RELATING TO COURTS AND CIVIL PROCEDURE -- COURTS | |
*** | |
1 | This act would remove references to minors in certain sections relative to domestic |
2 | assault protective orders as the family court currently has jurisdiction over protective orders |
3 | involving minors. |
4 | This act would take effect upon passage. |
======== | |
LC004332 | |
======== | |
| LC004332 - Page 7 of 7 |