Delaware Code Title 11 Sec. 2403 – Manufacture, possession or sale of intercepting device
(a) Prohibited acts. — Except as otherwise specifically provided by this chapter, any person who manufactures, assembles, possesses or sells any electronic, mechanical or other device knowing or having reason to know that the design of the device is primarily for the purpose of the surreptitious interception of wire, oral or electronic communications, shall be guilty of a Class F felony and be fined not more than $10,000.
Attorney's Note
Under the Delaware Code, punishments for crimes depend on the classification. In the case of this section:| Class | Prison | Fine |
|---|---|---|
| Class F felony | up to 3 years |
Terms Used In Delaware Code Title 11 Sec. 2403
- Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
- Electronic communication: means any transfer of signs, signals, writing, images, sounds, data or intelligence of any electromagnetic, photoelectronic or photooptical system. See Delaware Code Title 11 Sec. 2401
- Electronic communication service: means any service that provides to users of the service the ability to send or receive wire, oral or electronic communications. See Delaware Code Title 11 Sec. 2401
- Person: means any employee or agent of this State or a political subdivision thereof, or any individual, partnership, association, joint stock company, trust or corporation. See Delaware Code Title 11 Sec. 2401
- State: means the State of Delaware; and when applied to different parts of the United States, it includes the District of Columbia and the several territories and possessions of the United States. See Delaware Code Title 1 Sec. 302
- United States: includes its territories and possessions and the District of Columbia. See Delaware Code Title 1 Sec. 302
(b) Lawful acts. — It is lawful under this section for:
(1) A provider of wire or electronic communication service or an officer, agent, employee of, or person under contract with a service provider, in the normal course of the business of providing that wire or electronic communication service, to manufacture, assemble, possess or sell any electronic, mechanical or other device knowing or having reason to know that the design of the device is primarily for the purpose of the surreptitious interception of wire, oral or electronic communications.
(2) A person under contract with the United States, a state, a political subdivision of a state or the District of Columbia, in the normal course of the duties of the United States, a state, a political subdivision thereof or the District of Columbia to manufacture, assemble, possess or sell any electronic, mechanical or other device knowing or having reason to know that the design of the device is primarily for the purpose of the surreptitious interception of wire, oral or electronic communications.
(3) An officer, agent or employee of the United States in the normal course of that individual’s lawful duties to manufacture, assemble, possess or sell any electronic, mechanical or other device knowing or having reason to know that the design of the device is primarily for the purpose of the surreptitious interception of wire, oral or electronic communications. However, any sale made under the authority of this paragraph may only be for the purpose of disposing of obsolete or surplus devices.
(4) An officer, agent or employee of a law-enforcement agency of this State or a political subdivision of this State in the normal course of that individual’s lawful duties to manufacture, assemble, possess or sell any electronic, mechanical or other device knowing or having reason to know that the design of the device is primarily for the purpose of the surreptitious interception of wire, oral or electronic communications; provided, however, that the particular officer, agent or employee is specifically authorized by the chief administrator of such law-enforcement agency to manufacture, assemble or possess the device for a particular law-enforcement purpose. However, any sale made under the authority of this paragraph may only be for the purpose of disposing of obsolete or surplus devices.