Stalking is an often mentioned but rarely understood crime in New York.  From media or the news, you probably have an idea what “stalking” someone looks or feels like. To start, all degrees of stalking in New York are crimes and a conviction will result [...]

Stalking charges require an understanding of three very important things: “No legitimate purpose”; “Course of conduct”; and “Know or reasonably should know”.  These are critical aspects to any Stalking charge.  You may very often contact someone many, many times.  You may be angry at them.  [...]

No legitimate purpose means that you are acting the way you are to hound, frighten, intimidate, or threaten another person.  In other words, it is not enough that you were angry, or upset, or any number of other natural human emotions.  In fact, it’s not [...]

We’ve all done something we later regretted.  Stalking is not a crime that is meant to capture singular mistakes.  There is no set number of times that makes something a “course of conduct”.  What is clear is it must be more than once and should [...]

This is arguably the most important part to a Stalking charge.  The one thing you can never count on is how another person will feel or react.  To be charged with Stalking, you don’t even have to know that the other person is in fear [...]

Stalking in the 4th Degree is when a person intentionally, and for no legitimate purpose, engages in a course of conduct directed at someone, and knows or reasonably should know that the conduct is likely to cause reasonable fear of harm. Stalking in the 4th [...]

Stalking at this degree builds on many of the same conditions contained in the Stalking in the 4th Degree charge.  A charge of Stalking in the 4th Degree becomes a Stalking in the 3rd Degree charge if: the fear of harm is a serious physical [...]

Stalking in the 2nd Degree builds on those circumstances listed above with Stalking in the 3rd Degree.  You may be charged with Stalking in the 2nd Degree if: you commit Stalking in the 3rd Degree and display, possess, or threaten use of a weapon; or [...]

Stalking in the 1st Degree can be committed in two distinct ways.  Both require that you are engaged in Stalking in the 3rd Degree, and while doing so: you intentionally or recklessly cause injury to a person; or you commit another crime. Stalking in the [...]