76-6-108.  Damage to or interruption of a communication device — Penalty.

(1) 

Attorney's Note

Under the Utah Code, punishments for crimes depend on the classification. In the case of this section:
ClassPrisonFine
class B misdemeanorup to 6 monthsup to $1,000
For details, see Utah Code § 76-3-204

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Terms Used In Utah Code 76-6-108

  • Act: means a voluntary bodily movement and includes speech. See Utah Code 76-1-101.5
  • Actor: means a person whose criminal responsibility is in issue in a criminal action. See Utah Code 76-1-101.5
  • Damages: Money paid by defendants to successful plaintiffs in civil cases to compensate the plaintiffs for their injuries.
  • Fire: means a flame, heat source capable of combustion, or material capable of combustion that is caused, set, or maintained by a person for any purpose. See Utah Code 76-6-101
  • Person: means an individual, public or private corporation, government, partnership, or unincorporated association. See Utah Code 76-1-101.5
  • Process: means a writ or summons issued in the course of a judicial proceeding. See Utah Code 68-3-12.5
  • Property: means :
    (i) any form of real property or tangible personal property which is capable of being damaged or destroyed and includes a habitable structure; and
    (ii) the property of another, if anyone other than the actor has a possessory or proprietary interest in any portion of the property. See Utah Code 76-6-101
    (a)  As used in this section:

    (i)  “Communication device” means any device, including a telephone, cellular telephone, computer, or radio, which may be used in an attempt to summon police, fire, medical, or other emergency aid.

    (ii)  “Emergency aid” means aid or assistance, including law enforcement, fire, or medical services, commonly summoned by persons concerned with imminent or actual:

    (A)  jeopardy to any person‘s health or safety; or

    (B)  damage to any person’s property.

    (b)  Terms defined in Sections 76-1-101.5 and 76-6-101 apply to this section.

(2)  An actor commits damage to or interruption of a communication device if the actor attempts to prohibit or interrupt, or prohibits or interrupts, another person’s use of a communication device when the other person is attempting to summon emergency aid or has communicated a desire to summon emergency aid, and in the process the actor:

(a)  uses force, intimidation, or any other form of violence;

(b)  destroys, disables, or damages a communication device; or

(c)  commits any other act in an attempt to prohibit or interrupt the person’s use of a communication device to summon emergency aid.

(3)  A violation of Subsection (2) is a class B misdemeanor.

Amended by Chapter 111, 2023 General Session