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S.B. 235 Enrolled

             1     

CLARIFICATION OF STALKING INJUNCTIONS AND

             2     
PROTECTIVE ORDERS

             3     
2012 GENERAL SESSION

             4     
STATE OF UTAH

             5     
Chief Sponsor: Todd Weiler

             6     
House Sponsor: V. Lowry Snow

             7     
             8      LONG TITLE
             9      General Description:
             10          This bill allows a court with a petition for a stalking injunction to take into
             11      consideration any minor children the parties may have.
             12      Highlighted Provisions:
             13          This bill:
             14          .    allows a court to consider the defendant's parental rights when issuing a stalking
             15      injunction; and
             16          .    makes technical corrections.
             17      Money Appropriated in this Bill:
             18          None
             19      Other Special Clauses:
             20          None
             21      Utah Code Sections Affected:
             22      AMENDS:
             23          76-5-106.5, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2008, Chapter 356
             24          77-3a-101, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2008, Chapter 3
             25     
             26      Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
             27          Section 1. Section 76-5-106.5 is amended to read:
             28           76-5-106.5. Stalking -- Definitions -- Injunction -- Penalties.
             29          (1) As used in this section:


             30          (a) "Conviction" means:
             31          (i) a verdict or conviction;
             32          (ii) a plea of guilty or guilty and mentally ill;
             33          (iii) a plea of no contest; or
             34          (iv) the acceptance by the court of a plea in abeyance.
             35          (b) "Course of conduct" means two or more acts directed at or toward a specific
             36      person, including:
             37          (i) acts in which the actor follows, monitors, observes, photographs, surveils, threatens,
             38      or communicates to or about a person, or interferes with a person's property:
             39          (A) directly, indirectly, or through any third party; and
             40          (B) by any action, method, device, or means; or
             41          (ii) when the actor engages in any of the following acts or causes someone else to
             42      engage in any of these acts:
             43          (A) approaches or confronts a person;
             44          (B) appears at the person's workplace or contacts the person's employer or coworkers;
             45          (C) appears at a person's residence or contacts a person's neighbors, or enters property
             46      owned, leased, or occupied by a person;
             47          (D) sends material by any means to the person or for the purpose of obtaining or
             48      disseminating information about or communicating with the person to a member of the person's
             49      family or household, employer, coworker, friend, or associate of the person;
             50          (E) places an object on or delivers an object to property owned, leased, or occupied by
             51      a person, or to the person's place of employment with the intent that the object be delivered to
             52      the person; or
             53          (F) uses a computer, the Internet, text messaging, or any other electronic means to
             54      commit an act that is a part of the course of conduct.
             55          (c) "Immediate family" means a spouse, parent, child, sibling, or any other person who
             56      regularly resides in the household or who regularly resided in the household within the prior six
             57      months.


             58          (d) "Emotional distress" means significant mental or psychological suffering, whether
             59      or not medical or other professional treatment or counseling is required.
             60          (e) "Reasonable person" means a reasonable person in the victim's circumstances.
             61          (f) "Stalking" means an offense as described in Subsection (2) or (3).
             62          (g) "Text messaging" means a communication in the form of electronic text or one or
             63      more electronic images sent by the actor from a telephone or computer to another person's
             64      telephone or computer by addressing the communication to the recipient's telephone number.
             65          (2) A person is guilty of stalking who intentionally or knowingly engages in a course of
             66      conduct directed at a specific person and knows or should know that the course of conduct
             67      would cause a reasonable person:
             68          (a) to fear for the person's own safety or the safety of a third person; or
             69          (b) to suffer other emotional distress.
             70          (3) A person is guilty of stalking who intentionally or knowingly violates:
             71          (a) a stalking injunction issued pursuant to Title 77, Chapter 3a, Stalking Injunctions;
             72      or
             73          (b) a permanent criminal stalking injunction issued pursuant to this section.
             74          (4) In any prosecution under this section, it is not a defense that the actor:
             75          (a) was not given actual notice that the course of conduct was unwanted; or
             76          (b) did not intend to cause the victim fear or other emotional distress.
             77          (5) An offense of stalking may be prosecuted under this section in any jurisdiction
             78      where one or more of the acts that is part of the course of conduct was initiated or caused an
             79      effect on the victim.
             80          (6) Stalking is a class A misdemeanor:
             81          (a) upon the offender's first violation of Subsection (2); or
             82          (b) if the offender violated a stalking injunction issued pursuant to Title 77, Chapter 3a,
             83      Stalking Injunctions.
             84          (7) Stalking is a third degree felony if the offender:
             85          (a) has been previously convicted of an offense of stalking;


             86          (b) has been previously convicted in another jurisdiction of an offense that is
             87      substantially similar to the offense of stalking;
             88          (c) has been previously convicted of any felony offense in Utah or of any crime in
             89      another jurisdiction which if committed in Utah would be a felony, in which the victim of the
             90      stalking offense or a member of the victim's immediate family was also a victim of the
             91      previous felony offense;
             92          (d) violated a permanent criminal stalking injunction issued pursuant to Subsection (9);
             93      or
             94          (e) has been or is at the time of the offense a cohabitant, as defined in Section
             95      78B-7-102 , of the victim.
             96          (8) Stalking is a second degree felony if the offender:
             97          (a) used a dangerous weapon as defined in Section 76-1-601 or used other means or
             98      force likely to produce death or serious bodily injury, in the commission of the crime of
             99      stalking;
             100          (b) has been previously convicted two or more times of the offense of stalking;
             101          (c) has been convicted two or more times in another jurisdiction or jurisdictions of
             102      offenses that are substantially similar to the offense of stalking;
             103          (d) has been convicted two or more times, in any combination, of offenses under
             104      Subsection (7)(a), (b), or (c);
             105          (e) has been previously convicted two or more times of felony offenses in Utah or of
             106      crimes in another jurisdiction or jurisdictions which, if committed in Utah, would be felonies,
             107      in which the victim of the stalking was also a victim of the previous felony offenses; or
             108          (f) has been previously convicted of an offense under Subsection (7)(d)[,] or (e)[, or
             109      (f)].
             110          (9) (a) A conviction for stalking or a plea accepted by the court and held in abeyance
             111      for a period of time serves as an application for a permanent criminal stalking injunction
             112      limiting the contact between the defendant and the victim.
             113          (b) A permanent criminal stalking injunction shall be issued by the court [without a


             114      hearing unless the defendant requests a hearing] at the time of the conviction. The court shall
             115      give the defendant notice of the right to request a hearing.
             116          (c) If the defendant requests a hearing under Subsection (9)(b), it shall be held at the
             117      time of the conviction unless the victim requests otherwise, or for good cause.
             118          (d) If the conviction was entered in a justice court, a certified copy of the judgment and
             119      conviction or a certified copy of the court's order holding the plea in abeyance [must] shall be
             120      filed by the victim in the district court as an application and request for a hearing for a
             121      permanent criminal stalking injunction.
             122          (10) A permanent criminal stalking injunction [may grant] shall be issued by the
             123      district court granting the following relief where appropriate:
             124          (a) an order:
             125          (i) restraining the defendant from entering the residence, property, school, or place of
             126      employment of the victim; and
             127          (ii) requiring the defendant to stay away from the victim [and members of the victim's
             128      immediate family or household], except as provided in Subsection (11), and to stay away from
             129      any specified place that is named in the order and is frequented regularly by the victim; [and]
             130          (b) an order restraining the defendant from making contact with or regarding the
             131      victim, including an order forbidding the defendant from personally or through an agent
             132      initiating any communication, except as provided in Subsection (11), likely to cause annoyance
             133      or alarm to the victim, including personal, written, or telephone contact with or regarding the
             134      victim, with the victim's employers, employees, coworkers, friends, associates, or others with
             135      whom communication would be likely to cause annoyance or alarm to the victim[.]; and
             136          (c) any other orders the court considers necessary to protect the victim and members of
             137      the victim's immediate family or household.
             138          (11) If the victim and defendant have minor children together, the court may consider
             139      provisions regarding the defendant's exercise of custody and parent-time rights while ensuring
             140      the safety of the victim and any minor children. If the court issues a permanent criminal
             141      stalking injunction, but declines to address custody and parent-time issues, a copy of the


             142      stalking injunction shall be filed in any action in which custody and parent-time issues are
             143      being considered and that court may modify the injunction to balance the parties' custody and
             144      parent-time rights.
             145          [(11) A] (12) Except as provided in Subsection (11), a permanent criminal stalking
             146      injunction may be modified, dissolved, or dismissed only upon application of the victim to the
             147      court which granted the injunction.
             148          [(12)] (13) Notice of permanent criminal stalking injunctions issued pursuant to this
             149      section shall be sent by the court to the statewide warrants network or similar system.
             150          [(13)] (14) A permanent criminal stalking injunction issued pursuant to this section has
             151      effect statewide.
             152          [(14)] (15) (a) Violation of an injunction issued pursuant to this section constitutes a
             153      third degree felony offense of stalking under Subsection (7).
             154          (b) Violations may be enforced in a civil action initiated by the stalking victim, a
             155      criminal action initiated by a prosecuting attorney, or both.
             156          [(15)] (16) This section does not preclude the filing of a criminal information for
             157      stalking based on the same act which is the basis for the violation of the stalking injunction
             158      issued pursuant to Title 77, Chapter 3a, Stalking Injunctions, or a permanent criminal stalking
             159      injunction.
             160          Section 2. Section 77-3a-101 is amended to read:
             161           77-3a-101. Civil stalking injunction -- Petition -- Ex parte injunction.
             162          (1) As used in this chapter, "stalking" means the crime of stalking as defined in Section
             163      76-5-106.5 . Stalking injunctions may not be obtained against law enforcement officers,
             164      governmental investigators, or licensed private investigators, acting in their official capacity.
             165          (2) Any person who believes that he or she is the victim of stalking may file a verified
             166      written petition for a civil stalking injunction against the alleged stalker with the district court
             167      in the district in which the petitioner or respondent resides or in which any of the events
             168      occurred. A minor with his or her parent or guardian may file a petition on his or her own
             169      behalf, or a parent, guardian, or custodian may file a petition on the minor's behalf.


             170          (3) The Administrative Office of the Courts shall develop and adopt uniform forms for
             171      petitions, ex parte civil stalking injunctions, civil stalking injunctions, service and any other
             172      necessary forms in accordance with the provisions of this chapter on or before July 1, 2001.
             173      The office shall provide the forms to the clerk of each district court.
             174          (a) All petitions, injunctions, ex parte injunctions, and any other necessary forms shall
             175      be issued in the form adopted by the Administrative Office of the Courts.
             176          (b) The offices of the court clerk shall provide the forms to persons seeking to proceed
             177      under this chapter.
             178          (4) The petition for a civil stalking injunction shall include:
             179          (a) the name of the petitioner; however, the petitioner's address shall be disclosed to the
             180      court for purposes of service, but, on request of the petitioner, the address may not be listed on
             181      the petition, and shall be protected and maintained in a separate document or automated
             182      database, not subject to release, disclosure, or any form of public access except as ordered by
             183      the court for good cause shown;
             184          (b) the name and address, if known, of the respondent;
             185          (c) specific events and dates of the actions constituting the alleged stalking;
             186          (d) if there is a prior court order concerning the same conduct, the name of the court in
             187      which the order was rendered; and
             188          (e) corroborating evidence of stalking, which may be in the form of a police report,
             189      affidavit, record, statement, item, letter, or any other evidence which tends to prove the
             190      allegation of stalking.
             191          (5) (a) If the court determines that there is reason to believe that an offense of stalking
             192      has occurred, an ex parte civil stalking injunction may be issued by the court that includes any
             193      of the following:
             194          [(a)] (i) respondent may be enjoined from committing stalking;
             195          [(b)] (ii) respondent may be restrained from coming near the residence, place of
             196      employment, or school of the other party or specifically designated locations or persons;
             197          [(c)] (iii) respondent may be restrained from contacting, directly or indirectly, the other


             198      party, including personal, written or telephone contact with the other party, the other party's
             199      employers, employees, fellow workers or others with whom communication would be likely to
             200      cause annoyance or alarm to the other party; or
             201          [(d)] (iv) any other relief necessary or convenient for the protection of the petitioner
             202      and other specifically designated persons under the circumstances.
             203          (b) If the petitioner and respondent have minor children, the court shall follow the
             204      provisions of Section 78B-7-106 and take into consideration the respondent's custody and
             205      parent-time rights while ensuring the safety of the victim and the minor children. If the court
             206      issues a civil stalking injunction, but declines to address custody and parent-time issues, a copy
             207      of the stalking injunction shall be filed in any action in which custody and parent-time issues
             208      are being considered.
             209          (6) Within 10 days of service of the ex parte civil stalking injunction, the respondent is
             210      entitled to request, in writing, an evidentiary hearing on the civil stalking injunction.
             211          (a) A hearing requested by the respondent shall be held within 10 days from the date
             212      the request is filed with the court unless the court finds compelling reasons to continue the
             213      hearing. The hearing shall then be held at the earliest possible time. The burden is on the
             214      petitioner to show by a preponderance of the evidence that stalking of the petitioner by the
             215      respondent has occurred.
             216          (b) An ex parte civil stalking injunction issued under this section shall state on its face:
             217          (i) that the respondent is entitled to a hearing, upon written request within 10 days of
             218      the service of the order;
             219          (ii) the name and address of the district court where the request may be filed;
             220          (iii) that if the respondent fails to request a hearing within 10 days of service, the ex
             221      parte civil stalking injunction is automatically modified to a civil stalking injunction without
             222      further notice to the respondent and that the civil stalking injunction expires three years after
             223      service of the ex parte civil stalking injunction; and
             224          (iv) that if the respondent requests, in writing, a hearing after the ten-day period after
             225      service, the court shall set a hearing within a reasonable time from the date requested.


             226          (7) At the hearing, the court may modify, revoke, or continue the injunction. The
             227      burden is on the petitioner to show by a preponderance of the evidence that stalking of the
             228      petitioner by the respondent has occurred.
             229          (8) The ex parte civil stalking injunction and civil stalking injunction shall include the
             230      following statement: "Attention. This is an official court order. If you disobey this order, the
             231      court may find you in contempt. You may also be arrested and prosecuted for the crime of
             232      stalking and any other crime you may have committed in disobeying this order."
             233          (9) The ex parte civil stalking injunction shall be served on the respondent within 90
             234      days from the date it is signed. An ex parte civil stalking injunction is effective upon service.
             235      If no hearing is requested in writing by the respondent within 10 days of service of the ex parte
             236      civil stalking injunction, the ex parte civil stalking injunction automatically becomes a civil
             237      stalking injunction without further notice to the respondent and expires three years from the
             238      date of service of the ex parte civil stalking injunction.
             239          (10) If the respondent requests a hearing after the ten-day period after service, the court
             240      shall set a hearing within a reasonable time from the date requested. At the hearing, the burden
             241      is on the respondent to show good cause why the civil stalking injunction should be dissolved
             242      or modified.
             243          (11) Within 24 hours after the affidavit or acceptance of service has been returned,
             244      excluding weekends and holidays, the clerk of the court from which the ex parte civil stalking
             245      injunction was issued shall enter a copy of the ex parte civil stalking injunction and proof of
             246      service or acceptance of service in the statewide network for warrants or a similar system.
             247          (a) The effectiveness of an ex parte civil stalking injunction or civil stalking injunction
             248      shall not depend upon its entry in the statewide system and, for enforcement purposes, a
             249      certified copy of an ex parte civil stalking injunction or civil stalking injunction is presumed to
             250      be a valid existing order of the court for a period of three years from the date of service of the
             251      ex parte civil stalking injunction on the respondent.
             252          (b) Any changes or modifications of the ex parte civil stalking injunction are effective
             253      upon service on the respondent. The original ex parte civil stalking injunction continues in


             254      effect until service of the changed or modified civil stalking injunction on the respondent.
             255          (12) Within 24 hours after the affidavit or acceptance of service has been returned,
             256      excluding weekends and holidays, the clerk of the court shall enter a copy of the changed or
             257      modified civil stalking injunction and proof of service or acceptance of service in the statewide
             258      network for warrants or a similar system.
             259          (13) The ex parte civil stalking injunction or civil stalking injunction may be dissolved
             260      at any time upon application of the petitioner to the court which granted it.
             261          (14) The court clerk shall provide, without charge, to the petitioner one certified copy
             262      of the injunction issued by the court and one certified copy of the proof of service of the
             263      injunction on the respondent. Charges may be imposed by the clerk's office for any additional
             264      copies, certified or not certified in accordance with Rule 4-202.08 of the Code of Judicial
             265      Administration.
             266          (15) The remedies provided in this chapter for enforcement of the orders of the court
             267      are in addition to any other civil and criminal remedies available. The district court shall hear
             268      and decide all matters arising pursuant to this section.
             269          (16) After a hearing with notice to the affected party, the court may enter an order
             270      requiring any party to pay the costs of the action, including reasonable attorney fees.
             271          (17) This chapter does not apply to protective orders or ex parte protective orders
             272      issued pursuant to Title 78B, Chapter 7, Part 1, Cohabitant Abuse Act, or to preliminary
             273      injunctions issued pursuant to an action for dissolution of marriage or legal separation.


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