Cell Phone Harassment Laws
Electronic communications make up between 20 and 40 percent of all stalking cases says the National Conference of State Legislatures. It goes on to say the 47 states now have laws specifically including electronic communication within stalking and harassment laws. States that do not specifically include electronic communications reserve the right to do so if they choose.
Other People Are Reading
-
Alabama
-
The state of Alabama explicitly includes telephones in the list of methods that can be used to harass another person. In Alabama, harassment is defined as a verbal or non-verbal threat intended to make a person question his personal safety. Alabama classes all forms of harassment as a class "C" misdemeanor.
Massachusetts
-
Massachusetts defines stalking and harassment as any conduct carried out over a period of time intended to alarm, annoy, abuse or cause emotional stress. Massachusetts states that the use of electronic communication can be considered harassment and stalking under state laws. Depending on the nature of the threats, a person could face a fine of up to $1,000 and up to five years' imprisonment in a state facility.
-
Louisiana
-
The State of Louisiana defines stalking as intentional and repeated. It also states stalking follows harassment laws and that it is any behavior that is intended to cause a person distress. Louisiana includes electronic communications from cell phones in with behaviors that can be considered harassment or stalking. Depending on the nature of the threats made, a person if found guilty, faces a prison term of one to five years.
-
References
- Photo Credit Cell phone image by Elzbieta Sekowska from Fotolia.com
