Jefferson County Missouri Harassment Lawyer

Harassment

Harassment is committed when a person acts in a way designed to irritate, incite, intimidate, or generally cause another person emotional distress in some form.

In order to prove harassment, the State must show that the accused had specific intent to harass the victim. This means they must show that the defendant did or said something intending that it cause emotional stress to the victim. This is significantly different than many crimes which only require the prosecution to show that the defendant committed the act in question. Actions that inadvertently cause emotional distress are not considered harassment.

Harassment may be committed through either spoken or non-verbal means. Examples include physical gestures that frighten or aggravate a victim, or intimidation of a victim by showing up at their home or work. Harassment may also be committed by a person using an electronic device such as a phone or computer to communicate threats or to continually attempt to contact a victim.

If you are charged with harassment, there are viable defenses available. In some cases, the action that is the basis of the harassment charge may be protected by the First Amendment if it was made for a legitimate purpose. Also, it may be the case that the resulting harassment was an unintended consequence of the act that was committed. Regardless, you are presumed innocent under the Constitution and we will treat you as such throughout the criminal process.

Missouri Harassment Offenses