Montana Title 69. Public Utilities and Carriers § 69-6-104. Control of telephone communications to and from a person holding hostages--nonliability of telephone company officials

A supervisory law enforcement official who has jurisdiction in a geographical area where hostages are being held and who has probable cause to believe that the holder of the hostages is committing a crime may order a previously designated telephone security employee or other telephone company official to arrange to cut, reroute, or divert telephone lines in order to prevent the holder of the hostages from communicating with any person other than a law enforcement officer or an individual authorized by a law enforcement officer. The serving telephone company within the geographical area of a law enforcement agency shall designate a telephone company security employee or other telephone company official and an alternate to provide all required assistance to law enforcement officials to carry out the purposes of this section. A telephone security employee or other telephone company official acting in good faith under an order given pursuant to this section does not commit the offense of violating privacy in communications and is not liable in any civil action brought as a result of such good faith actions.