STALKING

Jefferson County Missouri Stalking Lawyer

Stalking


Everyone is familiar with stalking incidents as they are often mentioned in media accounts in the context of celebrities and the paparazzi. However, most stalking cases actually involve domestic companions, estranged spouses, or romantic or other obsessions with some person.


Stalking is the uninvited pursuit of another person. This could involve following someone, showing up at someone’s home or work place, making unwanted phone calls, or leaving messages for a person either through a physical act or by some electronic medium. What makes stalking different than harassment is that stalking is more than a single event. Stalking is normally charged when there is a pattern of harassing behavior that is meant to cause harm or distress. It includes recurrent harassing or intimidating behavior toward another person, who can be a total stranger, an acquaintance, current or past girlfriend or spouse, or just about anyone else.

We represent individuals charged with the following types of Stalking and related offenses:

  • Stalking, First Degree
  • Stalking, Second Degree
  • Invasion of Privacy
  • Unlawful Posting Information Over Internet

Stalking charges are common in domestic violence cases, where one person has threatened violence against their significant other. Criminal charges are often filed in stalking cases; however, the alleged perpetrator may also find themselves the subject of an order of protection (restraining order). An order of protection is issued by a judge and orders the defendant to cease all contact with an alleged victim, remain a specified distance away from them, or any other restriction that the court may deem appropriate under the circumstances. Violating an order of protection is taken seriously by courts and will often result in jail time.

Missouri Stalking Attorney


If you or someone you know has been arrested or charged with stalking, it is in your best interest to contact an experienced criminal defense attorney immediately. Many times, these cases are limited to the issuing of an order of protection, however, if criminal charges are filed you will likely be facing jail time or a significant fine. Also, in the event that an order of protection is issued against you, or should you violate an order of protection, this will affect your ability to purchase or own a firearm.


If you have been arrested, or are under suspicion for stalking in Jefferson County, St. Francois County, St. Louis County, Ste. Genevieve County, Washington County or Franklin County Missouri, including the cities of Arnold, Barnhart, Bloomsdale, Byrnes Mill, Cedar Hill, Crystal City, Desloge, DeSoto, Dittmer, Eureka, Farmington, Festus, Fredericktown, French Village, Herculaneum, High Ridge, Hillsboro, Horine, House Springs, Imperial, Mapaville, Mine La Motte, Mineral Point, Morse Mill, Olympian Village, Park Hills, Perryville, Pevely, Potosi, Ste. Genevieve, or Valles Mines, exercise your right to remain silent and to speak to an attorney immediately and contact the Lednick Law Firm to get a former Jefferson County Assistant Prosecuting Attorney on your side. Contact us at (636) 638-2150 for a free consultation.

Missouri Stalking and Related Crimes:

  • Invasion of Privacy

    A person commits the offense of invasion of privacy if he or she knowingly: (1) Photographs, films, videotapes, produces, or otherwise creates an image of another person, without the person’s consent, while the person is in a state of full or partial nudity and is in a place where one would have a reasonable expectation of privacy; or (2) Photographs, films, videotapes, produces, or otherwise creates an image of another person under or through the clothing worn by that other person for the purpose of viewing the body of or the undergarments worn by that other person without that person’s consent.


    Invasion of privacy is a class A misdemeanor unless: (1) A person who creates an image in violation of this section distributes the image to another or transmits the image in a manner that allows access to that image via computer; (2) A person disseminates or permits the dissemination by any means, to another person, of a videotape, photograph, or film obtained in violation of this section; (3) More than one person is viewed, photographed, filmed or videotaped during the same course of conduct; or (4) The offense was committed by a person who has previously been found guilty of invasion of privacy in which case invasion of privacy is a class E felony.

  • Stalking, First Degree

    A person commits the offense of stalking in the first degree if he or she purposely, through his or her course of conduct, disturbs or follows with the intent of disturbing another person and: (1) Makes a threat communicated with the intent to cause the person who is the target of the threat to reasonably fear for his or her safety, the safety of his or her family or household member, or the safety of domestic animals or livestock kept at such person’s residence or on such person’s property. The threat shall be against the life of, or a threat to cause physical injury to, or the kidnapping of the person, the person’s family or household members, or the person’s domestic animals or livestock kept at such person’s residence or on such person’s property; or (2) At least one of the acts constituting the course of conduct is in violation of an order of protection and the person has received actual notice of such order; or (3) At least one of the actions constituting the course of conduct is in violation of a condition of probation, parole, pretrial release, or release on bond pending appeal; or (4) At any time during the course of conduct, the other person is seventeen years of age or younger and the person disturbing the other person is twenty-one years of age or older; or (5) He or she has previously been found guilty of domestic assault, violation of an order of protection, or any other crime where the other person was the victim; or (6) At any time during the course of conduct, the other person is a participant of the address confidentiality program, and the person disturbing the other person knowingly accesses or attempts to access the address of the other person.


    The offense of stalking in the first degree is a class E felony.

  • Stalking, Second Degree

    A person commits the offense of stalking in the second degree if he or she purposely, through his or her course of conduct, disturbs, or follows with the intent to disturb another person.


    The offense of stalking in the second degree is a class A misdemeanor.

  • Unlawful Posting Information Over the Internet

    A person commits the offense of unlawful posting of certain information over the internet if he or she knowingly posts the name, home address, Social Security number, or telephone number of any person on the internet intending to cause great bodily harm or death, or threatening to cause great bodily harm or death to such person.


    The offense of unlawful posting of certain information over the internet is a class C misdemeanor.

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