HB 1: "An Act relating to stalking and to violating a protective order; and amending Rules 4 and 65, Alaska Rules of Civil Procedure, and Rule 9, Alaska Rules of Administration."
00 HOUSE BILL NO. 1 01 "An Act relating to stalking and to violating a protective order; and amending Rules 4 02 and 65, Alaska Rules of Civil Procedure, and Rule 9, Alaska Rules of Administration." 03 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA: 04 * Section 1. AS 11.56.740(a) is amended to read: 05 (a) A person commits the crime of violating a protective order if the person is 06 subject to a protective order 07 (1) issued or filed under AS 18.66 and containing a provision listed 08 in AS 18.66.100(c)(1) - (7) and knowingly commits or attempts to commit an act with 09 reckless disregard that the act violates or would violate a provision of the protective 10 order; or 11 (2) issued under AS 18.65.850, 18.65.855, or 18.65.860 and 12 knowingly commits or attempts to commit an act in violation of the order. 13 * Sec. 2. AS 18.65.530(a) is amended to read: 14 (a) Except as provided in (b) or (c) of this section, a peace officer, with or
01 without a warrant, shall arrest a person if the officer has probable cause to believe the 02 person has, either in or outside the presence of the officer, within the previous 12 03 hours, 04 (1) committed domestic violence, except an offense under 05 AS 11.41.100 - 11.41.130, whether the crime is a felony or a misdemeanor; 06 (2) committed the crime of violating a protective order in violation of 07 AS 11.56.740(a)(1) [AS 11.56.740]; 08 (3) violated a condition of release imposed under AS 12.30.027. 09 * Sec. 3. AS 18.65 is amended by adding new sections to read: 10 Article 11. Stalking Protective Orders and Notifications to Stalking Victims. 11 Sec. 18.65.850. Protective orders for stalking. (a) A person who reasonably 12 believes that the person is a victim of stalking that is not a crime involving domestic 13 violence may file a petition in the district or superior court for a stalking protective 14 order against a respondent who is alleged to have committed the stalking. A parent or 15 guardian may file a petition on behalf of a minor. 16 (b) When a petition for a protective order is filed, the court shall schedule a 17 hearing and provide at least 10 days' notice to the respondent of the hearing and of the 18 respondent's right to appear and be heard, either in person or through an attorney. If 19 the court finds by a preponderance of evidence that the respondent has committed 20 stalking against the petitioner, regardless of whether the respondent appears at the 21 hearing, the court may order any relief available under (c) of this section. The 22 provisions of a protective order issued under this section are effective for six months 23 unless earlier dissolved by the court. 24 (c) A protective order issued under this section may 25 (1) prohibit the respondent from threatening to commit or committing 26 stalking; 27 (2) prohibit the respondent from telephoning, contacting, or otherwise 28 communicating directly or indirectly with the petitioner or a designated household 29 member of the petitioner specifically named by the court; 30 (3) direct the respondent to stay away from the residence, school, or 31 place of employment of the petitioner, or any specified place frequented by the
01 petitioner; however, the court may order the respondent to stay away from the 02 respondent's own residence, school, or place of employment only if the respondent has 03 been provided actual notice of the opportunity to appear and be heard on the petition. 04 (d) If the court issues a protective order under this section, the court shall 05 (1) make reasonable efforts to ensure that the order is understood by 06 the petitioner and by the respondent, if present; and 07 (2) have the order delivered to the appropriate local law enforcement 08 agency for expedited service. 09 Sec. 18.65.855. Ex parte and emergency protective orders for stalking. (a) 10 A person who reasonably believes that the person is a victim of stalking that is not a 11 crime involving domestic violence may file a petition under AS 18.65.850 and request 12 an ex parte protective order. If the court finds that the petition establishes probable 13 cause that the crime of stalking has occurred, that it is necessary to protect the 14 petitioner from further stalking, and that the petitioner has certified to the court in 15 writing the efforts, if any, that have been made to provide notice to the respondent, the 16 court shall ex parte and without notice to the respondent issue a protective order. An 17 ex parte protective order under this section may grant the protection allowed by 18 AS 18.65.850(c). An ex parte protective order expires 20 days after it is issued unless 19 dissolved earlier by the court at the request of either the petitioner or the respondent 20 after notice and, if requested, a hearing. If the court issues an ex parte protective 21 order, the court shall have the order delivered to the appropriate law enforcement 22 agency for expedited service. 23 (b) A peace officer, on behalf of and with the consent of a victim of stalking 24 that is not a crime involving domestic violence, may request an emergency protective 25 order from a judicial officer. The request may be made orally or in writing based on 26 the sworn statement of a peace officer, and in person or by telephone. If the court 27 finds probable cause to believe that the petitioner is in immediate danger of stalking 28 based on an allegation of the recent commission of stalking, the court ex parte shall 29 issue an emergency protective order. An emergency protective order may grant the 30 protection allowed by AS 18.65.850(c). An emergency protective order expires 72 31 hours after it is issued unless dissolved earlier by the court at the request of the
01 petitioner. A peace officer who obtains an emergency protective order under this 02 section shall 03 (1) place the provisions of an oral order in writing on a form provided 04 by the court and file the written order with the issuing court by the end of the judicial 05 day after the order is issued; 06 (2) provide a copy of the order to the petitioner; and 07 (3) serve a copy of the order on the respondent. 08 Sec. 18.65.860. Modification of protective orders for stalking. (a) Either 09 the petitioner or the respondent may request modification of a protective order issued 10 under AS 18.65.850 or 18.65.855(a). If a request is made for modification of 11 (1) a protective order, after notice and hearing under AS 18.65.850, the 12 court shall schedule a hearing within 20 days after the date the request is made, except 13 that, if the court finds that the request is meritless on its face, the court may deny the 14 request without a hearing; or 15 (2) an ex parte protective order under AS 18.65.855(a), the court shall 16 schedule a hearing on three days' notice or on shorter notice as the court may 17 prescribe. 18 (b) If the court modifies a protective order under this section, the court shall 19 issue a modified order and shall 20 (1) make reasonable efforts to ensure that the order is understood by 21 the petitioner and by the respondent, if present at the hearing; and 22 (2) have the order delivered to the appropriate local law enforcement 23 agency for expedited service. 24 Sec. 18.65.865. Service of process; forms for petitions and orders; fees; 25 warnings; and notification. (a) Service of process of an order issued by the court 26 under AS 18.65.850 - 18.65.860 shall be as provided in AS 18.66.160 for service of 27 process of domestic violence protective orders. 28 (b) The Alaska Court System shall prepare forms for petitions and protective 29 orders and instructions for their use by a person seeking a protective order under 30 AS 18.65.850 - 18.65.860. The forms must conform to the Alaska Rules of Civil 31 Procedure, except that information on the forms may be filled in by legible
01 handwriting. Filing fees may not be charged in any action seeking only the relief 02 provided in AS 18.65.850 - 18.65.870. Each protective order form must contain the 03 following warning in boldface type: "Violation of this order may be a misdemeanor, 04 punishable by up to one year of incarceration and a fine of up to $5,000." 05 (c) The Department of Public Safety shall develop and make available to law 06 enforcement agencies in the state a notice that details the rights of victims of stalking 07 and the services available to them. The form must be similar to that provided to 08 victims of domestic violence under AS 18.65.520. A peace office investigating a 09 stalking offense shall provide the form to the victim. 10 Sec. 18.65.870. Definitions. In AS 18.65.850 - 18.65.870, 11 (1) "crime involving domestic violence" has the meaning given in 12 AS 18.66.990; 13 (2) "household member" has the meaning given in AS 18.66.990; 14 (3) "stalking" means a violation of AS 11.41.260 or 11.41.270. 15 * Sec. 4. AS 18.66.990(3) is amended to read: 16 (3) "domestic violence" and "crime involving domestic violence" mean 17 one or more of the following offenses or an offense under a law or ordinance of 18 another jurisdiction having elements similar to these offenses, or an attempt to commit 19 the offense, by a household member against another household member: 20 (A) a crime against the person under AS 11.41; 21 (B) burglary under AS 11.46.300 - 11.46.310; 22 (C) criminal trespass under AS 11.46.320 - 11.46.330; 23 (D) arson or criminally negligent burning under AS 11.46.400 - 24 11.46.430; 25 (E) criminal mischief under AS 11.46.475 - 11.46.486; 26 (F) terrorist threatening under AS 11.56.807 or 11.56.810; 27 (G) violating a protective [DOMESTIC VIOLENCE] order 28 under AS 11.56.740(a)(1) [AS 11.56.740]; or 29 (H) harassment under AS 11.61.120(a)(2) - (4); 30 * Sec. 5. AS 22.15.100(9) is amended to read: 31 (9) to issue a protective order in cases involving
01 (A) domestic violence as provided in AS 18.66.100 - 02 18.66.180; or 03 (B) stalking as provided in AS 18.65.850 - 18.65.870; 04 * Sec. 6. The uncodified law of the State of Alaska is amended by adding a new section to 05 read: 06 INDIRECT COURT RULE AMENDMENTS. (a) AS 18.65.865, added by sec. 3 of 07 this Act, has the effect of amending Rule 4, Alaska Rules of Civil Procedure, and Rule 9, 08 Alaska Rules of Administration, relating to fees and service of process for protective orders 09 for victims of stalking. 10 (b) AS 18.65.850 - 18.65.870, added by sec. 3 of this Act, have the effect of 11 amending Rule 65, Alaska Rules of Civil Procedure, relating to temporary restraining orders, 12 the method of obtaining those orders, and the timing of those orders.