§ 37-12-212 — Additional penalties

Every public utility, all officers and agents of any public
utility, and every person shall obey, observe and comply with
every provision of this act and with every order made by the
commission under authority of this act and duly served in
accordance with its provisions so long as the same shall be and
remain in force. Any public utility or its officers or agents,
and any other persons, who shall knowingly and willfully violate
any of the provisions of this act is punishable as a misdemeanor
or felony, or who fails, omits or neglects to obey, observe or
comply with any order or any direction or requirement of the
commission, shall (in addition to liability to the party
aggrieved for all damages sustained by reason of such violation)
forfeit to the state not to exceed the sum of one thousand
dollars ($1,000.00) for each and every violation, or in case of
a violation which is punishable as a misdemeanor or felony, not
to exceed the maximum sum fixed as a fine therefor, which shall
be recovered in an action at law to the use of the state upon
the complaint of the commission appearing by its attorney or the
attorney general; but no such action shall be maintained unless
brought within two (2) years after the date of such violation;
nor shall such an action be maintained in the case of a person
who has already been convicted for the same violation of this
act, and recovery by civil action brought in accordance with
this section shall not be a bar to any criminal prosecution for
the same violation of this act.