The Interference with Emergency Request for Assistance crime in the state of Texas gives police the right to arrest you if they believe you interfered with someone’s ability to place an emergency call or broke someone’s telephone (or other device) so that they could not call for an emergency. Learn more detailed information about the Interference with Emergency Request for Assistance offense below.

Interference with Emergency Request for Assistance is classified in the Texas Penal Code under Title 9 “Offenses Against Public Order And Decency,” Chapter 42 “Disorderly Conduct And Related Offenses.”

What is the current Texas law about Interference with Emergency Request for Assistance?

The current Texas law defines the offense of Interference with Emergency Request For Assistance in Penal Code Section §42.062 as follows:^[1]

(a) An individual commits an offense if the individual knowingly prevents or interferes with another individual’s ability to place an emergency call or to request assistance, including a request for assistance using an electronic communications device, in an emergency from a law enforcement agency, medical facility, or other agency or entity the primary purpose of which is to provide for the safety of individuals.

(b) An individual commits an offense if the individual recklessly renders unusable an electronic communications device, including a telephone, that would otherwise be used by another individual to place an emergency call or to request assistance in an emergency from a law enforcement agency, medical facility, or other agency or entity the primary purpose of which is to provide for the safety of individuals.

How can I be charged with Interference with Emergency Request for Assistance?

You can be charged with Interference with Emergency Request for Assistance if the state’s attorneys believe that each of the elements of either 42.062(a) or (b), as described in the section above, have been met.

What is the punishment for Interference with Emergency Request for Assistance?

A conviction for Interference with Emergency Request for Assistance is punished by default as a Class A misdemeanor,^[2] with a maximum possible fine under Texas state law of up to $4,000 and jail time of up to one year. Learn about the differences between grades of felonies and misdemeanors

If the actor has been previously convicted of this offense, then a conviction for Interference with Emergency Request for Assistance is punished as a State Jail Felony,^[3] with a maximum possible fine under Texas state law of up to $10,000 and jail time of up to two years. Learn about the differences between grades of felonies and misdemeanors

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Legal References:

^1. Texas Penal Code §42.062^2. Texas Penal Code §42.062(c)^3. Texas Penal Code §42.062(c)