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2024 Florida Statutes (Including 2025C)

Title XLVI CRIMES
Chapter 836 DEFAMATION; LIBEL; THREATENING LETTERS AND SIMILAR OFFENSES Entire Chapter
SECTION 12
Threats or harassment.
F.S. 836.12
836.12 Threats or harassment.—
(1) As used in this section, the term:
(a) “Family member” means:
1. An individual related to another individual by blood or marriage; or
2. An individual who stands in loco parentis to another individual.
(b) “Judicial assistant” means a court employee assigned to the office of a specific judge or justice responsible for providing administrative, secretarial, and clerical support to the assigned judge or justice.
(c) “Law enforcement officer” means:
1. A law enforcement officer as defined in s. 943.10; or
2. A federal law enforcement officer as defined in s. 901.1505.
(2)(a) Except as provided in paragraph (b), any person who knowingly and willfully threatens a law enforcement officer, a state attorney, an assistant state attorney, a firefighter, a judge, a justice, a judicial assistant, a clerk of court, clerk personnel, or an elected official, or a family member of any such person, with death or serious bodily harm commits a misdemeanor of the first degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082 or s. 775.083.
(b) A person who commits a second or subsequent violation of paragraph (a) commits a felony of the third degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082, s. 775.083, or s. 775.084.
(3) Any person who knowingly and willfully harasses a law enforcement officer, a state attorney, an assistant state attorney, a firefighter, a judge, a justice, a judicial assistant, a clerk of court, clerk personnel, or an elected official, with the intent to intimidate or coerce such a person to perform or refrain from performing a lawful duty, commits a misdemeanor of the first degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082 or s. 775.083.
History.—s. 3, ch. 2016-156; s. 1, ch. 2023-194.