Florida Statute 836.12 - Full Text and Legal Analysis

The 2025 Florida Statutes

Title XLVI
CRIMES

Chapter 836
DEFAMATION; LIBEL; THREATENING LETTERS AND SIMILAR OFFENSES

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836.12 Threats or harassment.—

(1) As used in this section, the term:

(a) “Administrative assistant” means a court employee assigned to the office of a specific general or special magistrate or a child support enforcement hearing officer.

(b) “Family member” means:

1. An individual related to another individual by blood or marriage; or

2. An individual who stands in loco parentis to another individual.

(c) “Judicial assistant” means a court employee assigned to the office of a specific judge or justice responsible for providing administrative, secretarial, and clerical support to the assigned judge or justice.

(d) “Law enforcement officer” means:

1. A law enforcement officer as defined in s. 943.10; or

2. A federal law enforcement officer as defined in s. 901.1505.

(2)(a) Except as provided in paragraph (b), any person who knowingly and willfully threatens a law enforcement officer, a state attorney, an assistant state attorney, a firefighter, a judge, a justice, a general magistrate, a special magistrate, a child support enforcement hearing officer, an administrative assistant, a judicial assistant, a clerk of the court, clerk personnel, or an elected official, or a family member of any such person, with death or serious bodily harm commits a misdemeanor of the first degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082 or s. 775.083.

(b) A person who commits a second or subsequent violation of paragraph (a) commits a felony of the third degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082, s. 775.083, or s. 775.084.

(3) Any person who knowingly and willfully harasses a law enforcement officer, a state attorney, an assistant state attorney, a firefighter, a judge, a justice, a general magistrate, a special magistrate, a child support enforcement hearing officer, an administrative assistant, a judicial assistant, a clerk of the court, clerk personnel, or an elected official, with the intent to intimidate or coerce such a person to perform or refrain from performing a lawful duty, commits a misdemeanor of the first degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082 or s. 775.083.

History.—s. 3, ch. 2016-156; s. 1, ch. 2023-194; s. 1, ch. 2025-126.

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Amendments to 836.12

Annotations, Discussions, Cases:

Arrestable Offenses / Crimes under Fla. Stat. 836.12

Level: Degree
Misdemeanor/Felony: First/Second/Third

S836.12 2 - INTIMIDATION - RENUMBERED. SEE REC # 9804 - M: F

S836.12 2 - INTIMIDATION - RENUMBERED. SEE REC # 9800 - M: F

S836.12 2 - INTIMIDATION - RENUMBERED. SEE REC # 9801 - M: F

S836.12 2 - INTIMIDATION - RENUMBERED. SEE REC # 9807 - M: F

S836.12 2 - INTIMIDATION - RENUMBERED. SEE REC # 9805 - M: F

S836.12 2 - INTIMIDATION - RENUMBERED. SEE REC # 9803 - M: F

S836.12 2 - INTIMIDATION - REMOVED - M: F

S836.12 2 - INTIMIDATION - RENUMBERED. SEE REC # 9806 - M: F

S836.12 2 - INTIMIDATION - RENUMBERED. SEE REC # 9809 - M: F

S836.12 2 - INTIMIDATION - REMOVED - M: F

S836.12 2 - INTIMIDATION - RENUMBERED. SEE REC # 9802 - M: F

S836.12 2 - INTIMIDATION - RENUMBERED. SEE REC # 9808 - M: F

S836.12 3 - INTIMIDATION - REMOVED - F: T

S836.12 3 - INTIMIDATION - HARASS LEO/ST ATTY/ASA COERCE/INTIMIDATE - M: F

S836.12 3 - INTIMIDATION - REMOVED - F: T

S836.12 3 - INTIMIDATION - HARASS ELECTED OFFICIAL COERCE/INTIMIDATE - M: F

S836.12 3 - INTIMIDATION - HARASS CLERK/COURT PERSONNEL COERCE/INTIMIDATE - M: F

S836.12 3 - INTIMIDATION - HARASS JUDGE/MAGIS/COURT OFF COERCE/INTIMIDATE - M: F

S836.12 3 - INTIMIDATION - HARASS FIREFIGHTER COERCE/INTIMIDATE - M: F

S836.12 3 - INTIMIDATION - REMOVED. - M: F

S836.12 3 - INTIMIDATION - REMOVED - F: T