(a)  Any person whose wire, electronic, or oral communication is intercepted, disclosed, or used in violation of this chapter shall have a civil cause of action against any person who intercepts, discloses, or uses the communications, and shall be entitled to recover from that person:

(1)  Actual damages, but not less than liquidated damages, computed at the rate of one hundred dollars ($100) per day for each day of violation, or one thousand dollars ($1,000), whichever is higher;

(2)  Punitive damages; and

(3)  Reasonable attorneys’ fees and other litigation disbursements reasonably incurred.

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Terms Used In Rhode Island General Laws 12-5.1-13

  • Damages: Money paid by defendants to successful plaintiffs in civil cases to compensate the plaintiffs for their injuries.
  • Litigation: A case, controversy, or lawsuit. Participants (plaintiffs and defendants) in lawsuits are called litigants.
  • Person: means any individual, partnership, association, joint stock company, trust, or corporation, whether or not any of the foregoing is an officer, agent, or employee of the United States, a state, or a political subdivision of a state. See Rhode Island General Laws 12-5.1-1

(b)  Good faith reliance on a court order issued under this chapter shall constitute a complete defense to any civil or criminal action brought under this section or any other law. Any communications common carrier and its employees shall be deemed to have acted in good faith upon receipt of a certified copy of the court order issued under this chapter and the representations of the attorney general or an assistant attorney general specially designated by the attorney general.

History of Section.
P.L. 1969, ch. 55, § 1; P.L. 1974, ch. 121, § 1; P.L. 1979, ch. 239, § 1; P.L. 1999, ch. 167, § 2.