NORTH CAROLINA GENERAL ASSEMBLY

1967 SESSION

 

 

CHAPTER 833

HOUSE BILL 537

 

 

AN ACT TO REWRITE G.S. 14-196, RELATING TO THE USE OF PROFANE, INDECENT OR THREATENING LANGUAGE OVER THE TELEPHONE AND ANNOYING ANOTHER BY REPEATED TELEPHONING OR MAKING FALSE STATEMENTS OVER THE TELEPHONE.

 

The General Assembly of North Carolina do enact:

 

Section 1.  G.S. 14-196, is hereby rewritten to read as follows:

"§ 14-196.  Using Profane, Indecent or Threatening Language to Any Person Over the Telephone; Annoying or Harassing by Repeated Telephoning or Making False Statements Over the Telephone. (a) It shall be unlawful for any person:

(1)        To use in telephonic communications any words or language of a profane, vulgar, lewd, lascivious or indecent character, nature or connotation;

(2)        To use in telephonic communications any words or language threatening to inflict bodily harm to any person or physical injury to the property of any person, or for the purpose of extorting money or other things of value from any person;

(3)        To telephone another repeatedly, whether or not conversation ensues, for the purpose of abusing, annoying, threatening, terrifying, harassing or embarrassing any person at the called number;

(4)        To make a telephone call and fail to hang up or disengage the connection with the intent to disrupt the service of another;

(5)        To telephone another and to knowingly make any false statement concerning death, injury, illness, disfigurement, indecent conduct or criminal conduct of the person telephoned or of any member of his family or household with the intent to abuse, annoy, threaten, terrify, harass, or embarrass;

(6)        To knowingly permit any telephone under his control to be used for any purpose prohibited by this Section.

"(b)      Any of the above offenses may be deemed to have been committed at either the place at which the telephone call or calls were made or at the place where the telephone call or calls were received.

"(c)       Anyone violating the provisions of this Section shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and shall be subject to a fine or imprisonment, or both, in the discretion of the court."

Sec. 2.  If any provision or item of this Act or the application thereof is held invalid, such invalidity shall not affect other provisions, items or applications of this Act which can be given effect without the invalid provision, item or application, and to this end the provisions of this Act are hereby declared severable.

Sec. 3.  G.S. 14-196.1, G.S. 14-196.2 and all laws and clauses of laws in conflict with this Act are hereby repealed.

Sec. 4.  This Act shall be in force and effect from and after its ratification.

In the General Assembly read three times and ratified, this the 20th day of June, 1967.