An Act To Amend the Laws Concerning Terrorizing
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1. 17-A MRSA §210, sub-§1, as amended by PL 2003, c. 143, §4, is further amended to read:
1. A person is guilty of terrorizing if that person in fact communicates to any person a threat to commit or to cause to be committed a crime of violence dangerous to human life, against the person to whom the communication is made or another, and the natural and probable consequence of such a threat, whether or not such consequence in fact occurs, is:
A. To place a reasonable person, the person to whom the threat is communicated or the person threatened in reasonable fear that the crime will be committed. Violation of this paragraph is a Class D crime; or
B. To cause evacuation of a building, place of assembly or facility of public transport or to cause the occupants of a building to be moved to or required to remain in a designated secured area. Violation of this paragraph is a Class C crime.
SUMMARY
This bill expands the scope of the criminal offense of terrorizing by eliminating the need for a crime of violence to be dangerous to human life and by broadening the effect of a communicated threat to not only putting the person to whom the threat is communicated or the person threatened but also any reasonable person in reasonable fear that the crime will be committed.