Stalking behavior manifests in many forms of abuse and harassment, such as physical following, surveillance without consent, unwanted communication, threats, and intimidation. Therefore, committing stalking would result in serious consequences of a criminal offense.And if you are a victim of stalking, do not fear and hide yourself from being harassed, as there is a lawyer who specializes in processing your case and making the stalker pay for the intimidation he caused.
The Zeiger Firm’ Philadelphia stalking lawyer is a firm that has long-standing experience and expertise in handling stalking cases. Thus, they will provide you with a free initial consultation for your case, so do not be afraid to ask about your case because your wellbeing is their priority. Contact them now!
Understanding a stalking case is a complex process. Therefore, we will provide you with an overview of the stalking charges in Pennsylvania, ensuring that you will be aware of the sanction and benefits of comprehending the case.
What is the definition of Stalking?
Under Pennsylvania law, stalking is when someone engages in a pattern of behavior or communicates with another person repeatedly enough to cause that person to reasonably fear physical harm or significant emotional anguish. The most prevalent form of stalking is through online platforms, wherein you harass someone by making annoying behavior despite knowing all about that person. And fearful stalking is when you are physically followed by someone without knowing who that is or unconsciously peeping and knowing your daily activity.
Victims of stalking experience fear, anxiety, and emotional distress as they are being followed and have a spontaneous threat that disrupts their daily activities because of the stalker. They may feel totally watched, threatened, and unable to escape the stalker. It significantly impacts the mental health of the victim and their enjoyment of life.
Penalties for Stalking
There are two considerations in giving fines for stalking: first, the defendant or accused has committed two or more acts of wanted behavior. Second, the victim faced reasonable fear as the accused injured the victim thoroughly, which gave the victim emotional distress and anxiety to continue in life.
Stalking on a first-degree misdemeanor will face up to five (5) years of imprisonment and $10,000 fine. Furthermore, a third-degree conviction of stalking would face you up to seven (7) years of imprisonment and $15,000 of fine.
Penalties in Harassment
When stalking involves consecutively occurring behavior multiple times that make you harass, annoy, or alarm in the unwanted acts, this would be called “harassment,” which is charged with minor harassment that will face a $300 fine and 90 days of imprisonment. This first-degree misdemeanor involves physical bullying or cyberbullying that is low-cost in nature. On the contrary, a third-degree misdemeanor would be charged with 1 year in prison and $2,000.
Seeing the penalties above, this would change the charge and penalties of the accused since it depends on the severity of stalking cases.
Conclusion
Therefore, understanding the stalking cases in Pennsylvania would have a significant impact on awareness of involvement in stalking cases. However, if you experienced getting harassed or stalked, the best helpline would be a stalking lawyer to follow through the process of stalking cases since their priority is to protect your freedom to enjoy life without someone annoys or intimidates you.
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