Stalking and Harassment
R.I. Gen. Laws § 11-59-2 — a felony up to five years, and cyberstalking a misdemeanor the first time
Harassing another person, or willfully, maliciously and repeatedly following someone intending to put them in reasonable fear of bodily injury, is stalking: a felony punished by up to five years, a fine up to $10,000, or both.
Sending communications by computer or another electronic device, or having someone contacted, only to harass a person or their family is a misdemeanor: up to $500, up to one year, or both.
What harassing means. A knowing and willful course of conduct at a specific person that seriously alarms, annoys or bothers them, serves no legitimate purpose, and would cause a reasonable person substantial emotional distress or fear of injury.
A second cyberstalking conviction is a felony, up to two years or $6,000.
Constitutionally protected activity is not a course of conduct. A particular situation is a question for a licensed Rhode Island attorney.
Sources for this section (2)
- R.I. Gen. Laws § 11-59-2 — Stalking prohibited
- R.I. Gen. Laws § 11-52-4.2 — Cyberstalking and cyberharassment prohibited
Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of October 2026. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed Rhode Island attorney.