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
002
:
EXTREME RISK PROTECTION ORDERS
(Cite as: 13 V.S.A. § 4058)
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§ 4058. Enforcement; criminal penalties
(a) Law enforcement officers are authorized to enforce orders issued under this chapter.
Enforcement may include collecting and disposing of dangerous weapons pursuant to
section 4059 of this title and making an arrest in accordance with the provisions of Rule 3 of the Vermont Rules
of Criminal Procedure.
(b)(1) A person who intentionally commits an act prohibited by a court or fails to perform
an act ordered by a court, in violation of an extreme risk protection order issued
pursuant to section 4053, 4054, or 4055 of this title, after the person has been served with notice of the contents of the order as provided
for in this subchapter, shall be imprisoned not more than one year or fined not more
than $1,000.00, or both.
(2) A person who files a petition for an extreme risk protection order under this subchapter,
or who submits an affidavit accompanying the petition, knowing that information in
the petition or the affidavit is false, or that the petition or affidavit is submitted
with the intent to harass the respondent, shall be imprisoned for not more than one
year or fined not more than $1,000.00, or both.
(c) In addition to the provisions of subsections (a) and (b) of this section, violation
of an order issued under this subchapter may be prosecuted as criminal contempt under
Rule 42 of Vermont Rules of Criminal Procedure. The prosecution for criminal contempt
may be initiated by the State’s Attorney in the county in which the violation occurred.
The maximum penalty that may be imposed under this subsection shall be a fine of $1,000.00
or imprisonment for six months, or both. A sentence of imprisonment upon conviction
for criminal contempt may be stayed, in the discretion of the court, pending the expiration
of the time allowed for filing notice of appeal or pending appeal if any appeal is
taken. (Added 2017, No. 97 (Adj. Sess.), § 1, eff. April 11, 2018.)