Rhode Island General Laws 11-17-1. Forgery and counterfeiting in general
Every person who shall falsely make, alter, forge, or counterfeit, or procure to be falsely made, altered, forged, or counterfeited, any public record, or any writ, process, or proceeding in any court of justice in this state, any certificate or attestation of any judge, justice of the peace, warden, notary public, clerk of any court, town clerk, city clerk or other public officer, in any matter in which the certificate or attestation may be received as legal proof, any charter, deed, will, testament, bond, or writing obligatory, letter of attorney, policy of insurance, bill of exchange, bill of lading, railroad ticket, promissory note, order, acquittance, discharge for or upon the payment of money or delivery of goods, or any acceptance of a bill of exchange or any indorsement, assignment, or guaranty of any bill of exchange or promissory note, or any certificate, or accountable receipt for money, goods, or any other thing, or any warrant, order, or request for the payment of money or delivery of goods, or for the delivery of any note, bill, or other security for money or goods, or any lottery ticket, or part or share of any lottery ticket in any lottery authorized by the laws of any state, territory, or country, or any writing whatsoever purporting to contain evidence of any debt, contract, or promise, or of the discharge, payment of satisfaction of any debt, contract, or promise, with intent to defraud, or who shall utter and publish as true or shall procure to be uttered and published as true any such false, forged, altered, or counterfeited record, deed, or other writing as provided in this section, knowing it to be false, forged, altered, or counterfeited, with intent to defraud, shall be punished by imprisonment for not more than ten (10) years, or by a fine of not more than one thousand dollars ($1,000), or both.
History of Section.
G.L. 1896, ch. 280, § 1; G.L. 1909, ch. 346, § 1; P.L. 1915, ch. 1258, § 14; G.L. 1923, ch. 398, § 1; G.L. 1938, ch. 609, § 1; G.L. 1956, § 11-17-1.
Terms Used In Rhode Island General Laws 11-17-1
- Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
- Deed: The legal instrument used to transfer title in real property from one person to another.
- Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
- justice of the peace: include warden of the peace and the words "district court" include warden's court. See Rhode Island General Laws 43-3-14
- person: may be construed to extend to and include co-partnerships and bodies corporate and politic. See Rhode Island General Laws 43-3-6
- town: may be construed to include city; the words "town council" include city council; the words "town clerk" include city clerk; the words "ward clerk" include clerk of election district; the words "town treasurer" include city treasurer; and the words "town sergeant" include city sergeant. See Rhode Island General Laws 43-3-9
- Writ: A formal written command, issued from the court, requiring the performance of a specific act.