§59-3-7. Criminal and civil penalties.

(a) Any person who publishes a legal advertisement and who knowingly refused to file with the Secretary of State the affidavit for the fiscal year in which the legal advertisement was published, as required by the provisions of section three of this article, or to make and furnish the affidavit required by the provisions of section four of this article, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, and, upon conviction thereof, shall be punished by a fine of not less than $100 nor more than $1,000.

(b) Any person who shall knowingly file a false affidavit required by the provisions of this article shall be guilty of false swearing, and, upon conviction thereof, shall be punished as provided for that offense.

(c) Any qualified newspaper which shall knowingly charge any rates in excess of those specified in section three of this article, and any newspaper which shall knowingly charge any rates in excess of those specified in section six of this article, as the case may be, shall be liable to the person damaged thereby for treble damages.