Definitions
This section gives the definitions of words used in Missouri's laws about crimes against people. It explains what certain words mean so the law is clear. For example, a 'child' means someone under 17, 'deliberation' means thinking something over even for a very short time, and a 'special victim' includes police officers, firefighters, elderly people, and others who get extra protection under the law.
565.002. Definitions. — As used in this chapter, unless a different meaning is otherwise plainly required the following terms mean:
(1) "", cause that would reasonably produce a degree of passion in a person of ordinary temperament sufficient to substantially impair an ordinary person's capacity for self-control;
(2) "Child", a person under seventeen years of age;
(3) "Conduct", includes any act or ;
(4) "", a pattern of conduct composed of two or more acts, which may include communication by any means, over a period of time, however short, evidencing a continuity of purpose. is not included within the meaning of course of conduct. Such constitutionally protected activity includes picketing or other organized protests;
(5) "", cool reflection for any length of time no matter how brief;
(6) "", a household or family member as the term "family" or "household member" is defined in section 455.010, including any child who is a member of the household or family;
(7) "", something markedly greater than the level of uneasiness, nervousness, unhappiness, or the like which are commonly experienced in day-to-day living;
(8) "", the showing of all or any part of the human genitals, pubic area, buttock, or any part of the nipple of the breast of any female person, with less than a fully opaque covering;
(9) "", the right to the care, of a child;
(10) "Parent", either a biological parent or a parent by adoption;
(11) "Person having a right of ", a parent or of the child;
(12) "Photographs" or "films", the making of any photograph, picture film, videotape, or any other recording or transmission of the image of a person;
(13) "", any place where a reasonable person would believe that a person could disrobe in privacy, without being concerned that the person's undressing was being viewed, photographed or filmed by another;
(14) "", any of the following:
(a) A assaulted in the performance of his or her official duties or as a direct result of such official duties;
(b) Emergency personnel, any paid or volunteer firefighter, emergency room, hospital, or trauma center personnel, or emergency medical technician, assaulted in the performance of his or her official duties or as a direct result of such official duties;
(c) A and assaulted in the performance of his or her official duties or as a direct result of such official duties;
(d) An elderly person;
(e) A person with a ;
(f) A ;
(g) Any jailer or of the state or one of its assaulted in the performance of his or her official duties or as a direct result of such official duties;
(h) A worker in a construction or as the terms "highway worker", "", and "work zone" are defined under section 304.580;
(i) Any worker, meaning any employee of a utility that provides gas, heat, electricity, water, steam, telecommunications services, or sewer services, whether privately, municipally, or , while in the performance of his or her job duties, including any person employed under a contract;
(j) Any cable worker, meaning any employee of a cable , as such term is defined in section 67.2677, including any person employed under contract, while in the performance of his or her job duties; and
(k) Any employee of a mass transit system, including any employee of public bus or light rail companies, while in the performance of his or her job duties;
(15) "", passion directly caused by and arising out of by the victim or another acting with the victim which passion arises at the time of the and is not solely the result of former provocation;
(16) "", the judge or jurors to whom issues of fact, guilt or innocence, or the and declaration of punishment are submitted for decision;
(17) "Views", the looking upon of another person, with the unaided eye or with any device designed or intended to improve visual acuity, for the purpose of arousing or gratifying the sexual desire of any person.
Tap any gold-underlined word to see what it means.
Red section numbers link to that law.
Source & history notes
(L. 1983 S.B. 276, A.L. 1984 S.B. 448 § A, A.L. 2014 S.B. 491, A.L. 2014 H.B. 1371, A.L. 2017 S.B. 34)
Legal information, not legal advice. Always confirm with the official source at revisor.mo.gov.