Arizona Laws 13-1213. Aiming a laser pointer at a peace officer or an occupied aircraft; classification; definitions
A. A person commits aiming a laser pointer at a peace officer if the person intentionally, knowingly or recklessly directs the beam of light from a laser pointer at another person and the person knows or reasonably should know that the other person is a peace officer.
Attorney's Note
Under the Arizona Laws, punishments for crimes depend on the classification. In the case of this section:| Class | Prison | Fine |
|---|---|---|
| Class 2 felony | up to 10 years | up to $150,000 |
| Class 3 felony | up to 7 years | up to $150,000 |
| Class 6 felony | up to 1 1/2 years | up to $150,000 |
| Class 1 misdemeanor | up to 6 months | up to $2,500 |
Terms Used In Arizona Laws 13-1213
- Act: means a bodily movement. See Arizona Laws 13-105
- Action: includes any matter or proceeding in a court, civil or criminal. See Arizona Laws 1-215
- Felony: means an offense for which a sentence to a term of imprisonment in the custody of the state department of corrections is authorized by any law of this state. See Arizona Laws 13-105
- including: means not limited to and is not a term of exclusion. See Arizona Laws 1-215
- Knowingly: means , with respect to conduct or to a circumstance described by a statute defining an offense, that a person is aware or believes that the person's conduct is of that nature or that the circumstance exists. See Arizona Laws 13-105
- Misdemeanor: means an offense for which a sentence to a term of imprisonment other than to the custody of the state department of corrections is authorized by any law of this state. See Arizona Laws 13-105
- Peace officer: means any person vested by law with a duty to maintain public order and make arrests and includes a constable. See Arizona Laws 13-105
- Person: means a human being and, as the context requires, an enterprise, a public or private corporation, an unincorporated association, a partnership, a firm, a society, a government, a governmental authority or an individual or entity capable of holding a legal or beneficial interest in property. See Arizona Laws 13-105
- Recklessly: means , with respect to a result or to a circumstance described by a statute defining an offense, that a person is aware of and consciously disregards a substantial and unjustifiable risk that the result will occur or that the circumstance exists. See Arizona Laws 13-105
- Vehicle: means a device in, upon or by which any person or property is, may be or could have been transported or drawn upon a highway, waterway or airway, excepting devices moved by human power or used exclusively upon stationary rails or tracks. See Arizona Laws 13-105
B. A person commits aiming a laser pointer at an occupied aircraft if the person intentionally, knowingly or recklessly directs the beam of light from a laser pointer at an aircraft and the person knows or reasonably should know that the aircraft is occupied.
C. Intentionally or knowingly aiming a laser pointer at a peace officer is a class 5 felony. Recklessly aiming a laser pointer at a peace officer is a class 1 misdemeanor.
D. Intentionally, knowingly or recklessly aiming a laser pointer at an occupied aircraft is a class 2 felony if the act causes the pilot to crash the aircraft or perform an emergency landing. Intentionally, knowingly or recklessly aiming a laser pointer at an occupied aircraft is a class 3 felony if the act renders the pilot unable to safely operate the aircraft. Intentionally or knowingly aiming a laser pointer at an occupied aircraft is a class 6 felony. Recklessly aiming a laser pointer at an occupied aircraft is a class 1 misdemeanor.
E. For the purposes of this section:
1. "Aircraft" means any vehicle that is used for flight in the air by buoyancy or by the dynamic action of air on the vehicle’s surfaces, including airplanes, gliders and helicopters.
2. "Laser pointer" means any device that emits an intense beam of light amplified by stimulated emission of electromagnetic radiation.