Stalkers deal in fear. Their obsessive harassment of celebrities regularly makes the news. Earlier this year, Georgia resident Brady Green was convicted of stalking, harassment, criminal trespass and attempted aggravated harassment for hounding supermodel Tyra Banks. Dawne Wilson was convicted of felony aggravated stalking and sentenced to jail for sending murderous email messages to actor Tyler Perry. Overzealous fans and paparazzi regularly cross the line from acceptable fandom to frighteningly aggressive behavior in their pursuit of celebrities. But stalking is not limited to the famous. Celebrities may get the press, but the majority of stalking victims are ordinary citizens. Jealous ex-boyfriends stalk their former girlfriends, ex-husbands stalk their former wives, sexual predators stalk school children. From 75% to 80% of all stalking cases involve a male stalking a female and are often connected to domestic violence cases. Too often, stalking leads to more aggressive and more frightening behavior, including assault, battery, even murder.
In 1990, California was the first state to enact anti-stalking laws after obsessed fan Theresa Saldana stabbed to death TV star Rebecca Schaffer. Stalking laws protect against not only celebrity stalking, but cyber stalking, workplace stalking and any stalking behavior or harassment that puts the victim in fear of his or her safety, explained expert Los Angeles criminal defense attorney Stephen Rodriguez. Stalking "is a series of unwanted actions or conduct that puts a person in fear for their safety."
Cyber stalking on the Internet is of growing concern in Los Angeles County, said attorney Rodriguez. "Cyber stalking takes on many forms such as sending email to the victim, impersonating the victim in char rooms and email messages, and spreading untruths in a chat room," Rodriguez explained. "The Internet is a very efficient and inexpensive way for cyber stalkers to intimidate, terrorize and harm their victims while at the same time remaining anonymous." Incidents of cyber stalking in Los Angeles have become so numerous that special law enforcement units called Stalking and Threat Assessment Teams (STAT) have been created to aggressively investigate and prosecute cyber stalking.
Stalking can be charged as either a misdemeanor or felony depending on the presence of aggravating factors, the defendant's record and whether he is a repeat offender. If convicted of a felony, stalkers can be sentenced to up to five years in state prison. Stalking is a serious crime that requires serious defense. If you are accused of stalking, contact Los Angeles criminal defense attorney Stephen Rodriguez today for a free and private consultation.
