Whether Unlawful Sexual Contact or Misdemeanor Harassment, touching another person can get you in trouble in Greeley, Colorado. Unlawful Sexual Contact occurs in Greeley when a person touches the intimate parts of another against their wishes. Misdemeanor Harassment happens with any nonsexual unwanted touch or communication which exceeds certain boundaries. Our to Greeley criminal defense lawyers fight charges of Unlawful Sexual Contact and Misdemeanor Harassment every day. Call us for an aggressive approach to false allegations against you and your family. If you are facing a Misdemeanor Harassment charge or Unlawful Sexual Contact charge in Fort Collins, you can find help here.
Definition of Unlawful Sexual Contact, C.R.S. 18-3-404, in Weld County Court
The Weld County Court definition of Unlawful Sexual Contact, C.R.S. 18-3-404, is:
(a) The actor knows that the victim does not consent; or
(b) The actor knows that the victim is incapable of appraising the nature of the victim’s conduct; or
(c) The victim is physically helpless and the actor knows that the victim is physically helpless and the victim has not consented; or
(d) The actor has substantially impaired the victim’s power to appraise or control the victim’s conduct by employing, without the victim’s consent, any drug, intoxicant, or other means for the purpose of causing submission; or
(e) Repealed.
(f) The victim is in custody of law or detained in a hospital or other institution and the actor has supervisory or disciplinary authority over the victim and uses this position of authority, unless incident to a lawful search, to coerce the victim to submit; or
(g) The actor engages in treatment or examination of a victim for other than bona fide medical purposes or in a manner substantially inconsistent with reasonable medical practices.
How Does Unlawful Sexual Contact in Greeley, Colorado Normally Occur?
Some examples in Greeley of Unlawful Sexual Contact are:
- Touching a person’s breasts without their permission
- Squeezing a person’s butt without their permission
- A police officer has you handcuffed and searches you while touching your private parts
- By using a rape drug to gain the consent of another for sexual contact
- Having sexual contact with someone while they are drunk or on drugs
Weld County Sentence and Penalties of Unlawful Sexual Contact
In Weld County, the sentence for Unlawful Sexual Contact comes under a class 1 misdemeanor sentence. It is an extraordinary risk crime, which means that the penalties are harsher. The penalties can be 6 months – 2 years in the Weld County Jail, and a fine of up to $500 – $5,000. If the victim is drugged, or the sexual contact is by threat or force, it becomes a felony. In either a misdemeanor or felony conviction, you will be required to register as a Sex Offender. You can learn more about Unlawful Sexual Contact here.
Greeley, Colorado Definition of Misdemeanor Harassment, C.R.S. 18-9-111
The definition of Misdemeanor Harassment, C.R.S. 18-9-111, in Greeley 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.
Misdemeanor Harassment is a very vague and wide-ranging criminal charge that can occur through communication in person, through texts, actions (such as touching as long as it is not intimate parts), any means of annoying, or contacting a person in an unwanted manner. You are most at risk for this charge when someone puts in writing that they want you to stop contacting them. Either text or email will provide good evidence against you.
Examples of Misdemeanor Harassment in Weld County
Weld County examples of Misdemeanor Harassment are:
- Constantly texting a person threating messages
- Following a person and repeatedly pushing them
- Repeatedly calling a person and hanging up on them
- Sending repeated emails after someone has emailed you to stop writing them
Punishments and Sentence for a Misdemeanor Harassment Conviction in Greeley, Colorado
The sentence for Misdemeanor Harassment in Greeley is a class 3 misdemeanor with punishments that can include up to 6 months in Weld County Jail, and a fine of $50 to $750. If the harassment is found to be due to discrimination of a person’s race, religion, sexual orientation, or other defining characteristic, it can be charged as a discriminatory-based crime and that is sentenced as a class 1 misdemeanor.
The bottom line difference between Misdemeanor Harassment or Unlawful Sexual Contact in Greeley Court is that one involves sexual contact and one does not. In addition, one can result in you registering as a sex offender and one cannot.
If you or a loved one been accused of a Misdemeanor Harassment or Unlawful Sexual Contact charge in Weld County, you need an experienced sexual crimes criminal defense attorney fighting for you. Be smart, exercise your right to remain silent, and call attorneys at the O’Malley Law Office at 970-616-6009. Together, we can protect your future.
Image by Tumisu from Pixabay