If a person intentionally annoys, alarms, or bothers someone with gestures, contact, following, or hitting, they could be charged with and convicted of Harassment. If you are facing a Misdemeanor Harassment or Bias Motivated Crime, you will need a Greeley’s top low cost lawyer to get the best outcome in your criminal case. A former Senator hopeful is now facing Harassment charges, that also seem to be Bias Motivated. It is alleged that the senate candidate targeted a Latino man and repeatedly called him and was told that he owed the defendant money. The immigration status was the subject of some of these calls and the victim was told that he was not a man to be messed with. He was arrested and charged after the victim paid him money and the candidate continued to demand more. If the man is found to have committed these crimes, he could be convicted of both Misdemeanor Harassment and a Bias Motivated Crime.
What is the Weld County Definition of Misdemeanor Harassment, C.R.S. 18-9-111?
The definition of Misdemeanor Harassment, C.R.S. 18-9-111, in Weld County is:
(a) Strikes, shoves, kicks, or otherwise touches a person or subjects him to physical contact; or
(b) In a public place directs obscene language or makes an obscene gesture to or at another person; or
(c) Follows a person in or about a public place; or
(d) Repealed.
(e) Directly or indirectly initiates communication with a person or directs language toward another person, anonymously or otherwise, by telephone, telephone network, data network, text message, instant message, computer, computer network, computer system, or other interactive electronic medium in a manner intended to harass or threaten bodily injury or property damage, or makes any comment, request, suggestion, or proposal by telephone, computer, computer network, computer system, or other interactive electronic medium that is obscene; or
(f) Makes a telephone call or causes a telephone to ring repeatedly, whether or not a conversation ensues, with no purpose of legitimate conversation; or
(g) Makes repeated communications at inconvenient hours that invade the privacy of another and interfere in the use and enjoyment of another’s home or private residence or other private property; or
(h) Repeatedly insults, taunts, challenges, or makes communications in offensively coarse language to, another in a manner likely to provoke a violent or disorderly response.
In the above case, the senator candidate would have been Harassing the victim under (e) if he repeatedly contacted the man by phone.
It is also important to note that if the harassment was done because of someone’s perceived race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, sexual orientation, physical disability, or mental disability, the penalties are harsher.
What is a Bias Motivated Crime definition under C.R.S. 18-9-121, in Greeley, Colorado?
In Greeley, a Bias Motivated Crime is defined as:
A person commits a bias-motivated crime if, with the intent to intimidate or harass another person because of that person’s actual or perceived race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, physical or mental disability, or sexual orientation, he or she:
(a) Knowingly causes bodily injury to another person; or
(b) By words or conduct, knowingly places another person in fear of imminent lawless action directed at that person or that person’s property and such words or conduct are likely to produce bodily injury to that person or damage to that person’s property; or
(c) Knowingly causes damage to or destruction of the property of another person.
What is an Example of Misdemeanor Harassment in Weld County?
Some examples in Weld County of Harassment are:
- Following a person multiple times
- Spitting on a person
- Repeatedly texting threats to a person
- Challenging or taunting a person to cause them to fight
- Calling someone at night to irritate them
Harassment can be a very broad criminal charge and you can find yourself facing a charge even if your intentions were not harmful. Harassment is the most popular crime cited by the Greeley Police. Weld County’s experienced lawyers at the O’Malley Office can help you understand this criminal charge and navigate the court system.
Penalties and Sentence for Misdemeanor Harassment Conviction in Greeley, Colorado
Harassment is typically a class 3 misdemeanor under Greeley, Colorado law. The penalties include up to 6 months in Weld County Jail, and/or a fine of $50 to $750. However, if it is Discriminatory-Based Harassment it becomes a class 1 misdemeanor and the penalties include 6 to 18 months in jail, and/or a fine of $500-$5,000.
Weld County Punishment and Sentence for a Bias Motivated Crime
In Weld County if you are convicted of a Bias Motivated Crime, the following is how the punishment is determined by the crime that was committed with it. In the example above by the former candidate for the senate, it would be charged under the Discriminatory-Based Harassment law.
If you or someone you love has been charged with Misdemeanor Harassment or Bias-Motivated Crimes, be smart, exercise your right to remain silent, and contact the best criminal defense attorneys from the O’Malley Law Office at 970-616-6009 today. Together, we can protect your future.
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