Definitions; ss. 918.12 and 918.125.

F.S. 918.115

in effect

As used in ss. 918.12 and 918.125, the term: (1) “Administrative assistant” means a court employee assigned to the office of a specific general or special magistrate or a child support enforcement hearing officer. (2) “Bodily injury” means a cut, an abrasion, a bruise, a burn, or a disfigurement; physical pain; illness; impairment of the function of a bodily member, an organ, or a mental faculty; or any other injury to the body, regardless of how temporary. (3) “Court official” means any judge, justice, general magistrate, special magistrate, grand juror, petit juror, clerk of the court, deputy clerk of the court, judicial assistant, administrative assistant, attorney, child support enforcement hearing officer, bailiff, or court deputy. (4) “Harass” means to engage in a course of conduct directed at a specific person which causes substantial emotional distress in that person and serves no legitimate purpose. (5) “Judicial assistant” means a court employee assigned to the office of a specific judge or justice responsible for providing administrative, secretarial, or clerical support to the assigned judge or justice. (6) “Misleading conduct” means any of the following: (a) Knowingly making a false statement. (b) Intentionally omitting information from a statement and thereby causing a portion of such statement to be misleading, or intentionally concealing a material fact and thereby creating a false impression by such statement. (c) With the intent to mislead, knowingly submitting or inviting reliance on a writing or recording that is false, forged, altered, or otherwise lacking in authenticity. (d) With the intent to mislead, knowingly submitting or inviting reliance on a sample, specimen, map, photograph, boundary mark, or other object that is misleading in a material respect. (e) Knowingly using a trick, scheme, or device with the intent to mislead. (7) “Official investigation” means any investigation instituted by a law enforcement agency or prosecuting officer of the state or a political subdivision of the state or by the Commission on Ethics. (8) “Official proceeding” means any proceeding before a judge or court or a grand jury. (9) “Physical force” means physical action against another person and includes confinement of a person.

Source: FL Statutes (Official Site)URL: https://www.flsenate.gov/Laws/Statutes/2025/Chapter918/AllFetched: 7/8/2026