Section 2933.581 | Information, facilities or technical assistance to officer intercepting communications.
(A) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a provider of wire or electronic communication service, an officer, employee, or agent of a provider of that type, and a landlord, custodian, or other person is authorized to provide information, facilities, or technical assistance to a person who is authorized by the law of this state or the United States to intercept wire, oral, or electronic communications if both of the following apply:
(1) The provider, officer, employee, agent, landlord, custodian, or person has been provided with either of the following:
(a) An interception warrant or extension of an interception warrant that contains a statement of the type described in division (A)(13) of section 2933.56 of the Revised Code;
(b) A written representation of a judge of a court of common pleas or of a prosecuting attorney or specifically designated assistant prosecuting attorney that an oral order for an interception has been granted pursuant to section 2933.57 of the Revised Code, that no interception warrant is required by law, that all applicable statutory requirements have been satisfied, and that the oral order contains a statement of the type described in division (A)(13) of section 2933.56 of the Revised Code that directs the provision of the specified information, facilities, or technical assistance.
(2) The warrant, extension, or representation sets forth the period of time during which the provision of the information, facilities, or technical assistance is authorized and specifies the information, facilities, or technical assistance required.
(B)(1) Except as provided in division (B)(2) of this section, no provider of wire or electronic communication service, no officer, employee, or agent of a provider of that type, and no landlord, custodian, or other person who is authorized to provide information, facilities, or technical assistance under division (A) of this section shall disclose the existence of an interception or the device used to accomplish the interception with respect to which the person has been furnished an interception warrant, an extension of an interception warrant, or a written representation pursuant to that division. A person that makes a disclosure in violation of this division is liable for civil damages of the type described in section 2933.65 of the Revised Code.
(2) Division (B)(1) of this section does not prohibit the disclosure of the existence of an interception or the disclosure of a device used to accomplish an interception when the disclosure is required by legal process, provided the person making the disclosure gives prior notification of the disclosure to the prosecuting attorney of the county in which the interception takes place or in which the interception device is installed.
(C) Except as provided in this section, a provider of wire or electronic communication service, an officer, employee, or agent of a provider of that type, and a landlord, custodian, or other specified person is immune from civil or criminal liability in any action that arises out of its providing information, facilities, or technical assistance in accordance with division (A) of this section and the terms of the interception warrant, extension of an interception warrant, or written representation provided under that division.
Available Versions of this Section
- June 13, 1996 – House Bill 181 - 121st General Assembly [ View June 13, 1996 Version ]