A lot gets lost in translation when it comes to the law. Take Harassment – C.R.S. 18-9-111, for example. If you ask ten different people the definition of “annoy,” you’re going to get ten different answers. Yet, this vague definition is included in the Colorado law. What is normal for some people is offensive to others. Much of this is cultural, but also includes how a person was raised. The statue for Harassment is full of vague terms and definitions. So, it is easy to be charged with Harassment in Greeley, Evans, or Erie.
Harassment: Full of Vague Terminology
According to Colorado statute, a person commits Harassment in Weld, Logan or Morgan County if, “with intent to harass, annoy, or alarm another person,” they:
- Touch, strike, shove, push, kick, or otherwise come into contact with another person; or
- Make an obscene gesture or direct obscene language to another person in a public place; or
- Initiate communication electronically (over the phone or computer) in a way which is intended to harass or threaten bodily injury to another person, or make an obscene request or proposal; or
- Call a person repeatedly, with no intention of legitimate conversation; or
- Communicate repeatedly with another person at inconvenient hours in a way which invades that person’s privacy and their use and enjoyment of their own home; or
- Insult, communicate in an offensive language, or taunt a person in a way which is likely to provoke a disorderly or violent response.
As you can see, any of these actions will be seen as harassment if they are done with the intent to annoy, alarm, or harass another person. As we have discussed, definitions vary dramatically from person to person.
A Story of Harassment Charges Getting Out of Hand
A few years ago, I received a call from a man who wished to file harassment charges against his neighbor’s son. After I explained I was a criminal defense attorney and couldn’t file charges, I asked what his neighbor’s son had done. He explained that the little boy had been throwing rocks at his daughter. I implored the man to keep this issue out of the courts, and instead to work this issue out with his neighbor directly. I share this story to illustrate how the law is often subjective. The neighbor most likely viewed his son’s rock-throwing as a childhood act (he probably liked the little girl), while the other man viewed it as a criminal act. If you have been charged with Harassment after a person interpreted your actions in a way you didn’t intend, contact an attorney immediately to defend your future.
If you or a loved one has been charged with Harassment in Washington, Yuma, or Kit Carson County, be smart, exercise your right to remain silent, and contact an experienced criminal defense attorney at the O’Malley Law Office at 970-616-6009, or submit the “Get Help Now” form. Together, we can protect your future.
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