The Vermont Statutes Online
The Statutes below include the actions of the 2025 session of the General Assembly.
NOTE: The Vermont Statutes Online is an unofficial copy of the Vermont Statutes Annotated that is provided as a convenience.
Subchapter
004
:
OTHER DISTURBANCES OF THE PEACE
(Cite as: 13 V.S.A. § 1027)
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§ 1027. Disturbing peace by use of telephone or other electronic communications
(a) A person who, with intent to terrify, intimidate, threaten, harass, or annoy, makes
contact by means of a telephonic or other electronic communication with another and
makes any request, suggestion, or proposal that is obscene, lewd, lascivious, or indecent;
threatens to inflict injury or physical harm to the person or property of any person;
or disturbs, or attempts to disturb, by repeated telephone calls or other electronic
communications, whether or not conversation ensues, the peace, quiet, or right of
privacy of any person at the place where the communication or communications are received
shall be fined not more than $250.00 or be imprisoned not more than three months,
or both. If the defendant has previously been convicted of a violation of this section
or of an offense under the laws of another state or of the United States that would
have been an offense under this section if committed in this State, the defendant
shall be fined not more than $500.00 or imprisoned for not more than six months, or
both.
(b) An intent to terrify, threaten, harass, or annoy may be inferred by the trier of fact
from the use of obscene, lewd, lascivious, or indecent language or the making of a
threat or statement or repeated telephone calls or other electronic communications
as set forth in this section and any trial court may in its discretion include a statement
to this effect in its jury charge.
(c) An offense committed by use of a telephone or other electronic communication device
as set forth in this section shall be considered to have been committed at either
the place where the telephone call or calls originated or at the place where the communication
or communications or calls were received. (Added 1967, No. 171, § 1; amended 1999, No. 124 (Adj. Sess.), § 2; 2013, No. 150 (Adj. Sess.), § 5.)