§ 11-35-14 - Refusal to relinquish or to damage or to obstruct telephone. - Rhode Island Statutes

SECTION 11-35-14

   § 11-35-14  Refusal to relinquish or todamage or to obstruct telephone. – (a) Any person who willfully refuses to relinquish a party line or whoobstructs or damages an individual telephone line or telephone set when he orshe knows or should have known that the party line, individual telephone lineor telephone set is needed for an emergency call to a fire department or policedepartment or for medical aid or ambulance service shall be fined not less thanfifty dollars ($50.00) nor more than three hundred dollars ($300) or beimprisoned ninety (90) days, or both, or any person who secures the use of aparty line by falsely stating that the line is needed for an emergency callshall be fined not exceeding twenty dollars ($20.00) or be imprisoned notexceeding three (3) months.

   (b) As used in this section:

   (1) "Party line" means a subscriber line telephone circuitconsisting of two (2) or more main telephone stations connected with it, eachstation with a distinctive ring or telephone number; and

   (2) "Emergency" means a situation in which property or humanlife are in jeopardy and the prompt summoning of aid is essential.