SENATE BILL No. 885

 

 

November 10, 2005, Introduced by Senators HARDIMAN, JOHNSON, CASSIS, CROPSEY and GOSCHKA and referred to the Committee on Judiciary.

 

 

 

     A bill to amend 1931 PA 328, entitled

 

"The Michigan penal code,"

 

(MCL 750.1 to 750.568) by adding section 411u.

 

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:

 

     Sec. 411u. (1) A person shall not damage, destroy, disconnect,

 

or otherwise prevent access to a telecommunications device to

 

prevent the use of that telecommunications device to report

 

domestic violence or to obtain medical, legal, or other assistance

 

that is required or desired as a result of domestic violence.

 

     (2) A person who violates this section is guilty of a crime as

 

follows:

 

     (a) Except as provided in subdivision (b), the person is

 

guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for not more

 

than 90 days or a fine of not more than $500.00, or both.

 


     (b) If the domestic violence results in injury to or the death

 

of any person, the person violating this section is guilty of a

 

felony punishable by imprisonment for not more than 4 years or a

 

fine of not more than $5,000.00, or both.

 

     (3) This section does not prohibit the person from being

 

charged with, convicted of, or punished for any other crime,

 

including any other charge relating to domestic violence, in

 

addition to being charged with, convicted of, and punished for the

 

violation of this section.

 

     (4) As used in this section:

 

     (a) "Domestic violence" means that term as defined in section

 

1 of 1978 PA 389, MCL 400.1501.

 

     (b) "Telecommunications device" means a device designed or

 

intended to be used for communications through a communications

 

service.

 

     (c) "Communications service" means that term as defined in

 

section 102 of the Michigan telecommunications act, 1991 PA 179,

 

MCL 484.2102.