The crime of harassment in the State of Texas is considered to be a misdemeanor offense, and it prohibits any kind of abusive behavior that would harass, annoy, alarm, torment, or embarrass someone. There are seven specific abusive behaviors in the Texas Harassment statute, which include:
- Someone commits an offense with the intention of harassing, alarming, abusing, tormenting, or embarrassing another person.
- Someone initiates communication and makes a comment, request, suggestion, or proposal that’s considered obscene.
- Someone threatens in a way that’s likely to alarm someone else, to inflict bodily harm to that person, or to commit a felony against that person.
- Someone causes the telephone to ring repeatedly or makes frequent telephone communications either anonymously or in a manner that’s likely to be considered harassment.
- Someone makes a telephone call and refuses to hang up or sever the connection.
- Someone knowingly allows another person to use a telephone with the intention of committing any offense that’s legally considered to be harassment.
- Someone sends repeated electronic communications in a way that’s likely to harass, annoy, alarm, abuse, torment, embarrass, or offend another person.
Many cases of harassment involve phone calls, text messages, or social media posts. But regardless of how the communication has been made, the behavior must involve what has been listed above. A typical “prank call” could be seen as a form or harassment in the State of Texas.
Stalking Definition in the State of Texas
Stalking is seen as a form of harassment in the State of Texas, and it involves any of the following:
- Someone repeatedly performs the same scheme or conduct to another person that would be reasonably seen as threatening.
- The repeated action could cause bodily injury or death to that person, a member of his or her family, or someone with which he or she has a dating relationship.
- The offense is committed against that person’s property.
- The action causes that person, a member of his or her family, or someone with which he or she has a dating relationship to be placed in fear of bodily injury or death.
- The action causes the person to be in fear of death or bodily injury
- The action causes someone to fear that an offense may be committed to his or her property.
- The action makes that person feel harassed, annoyed, alarmed, abused, tormented, embarrassed, or offended.
Any of these offenses is considered to be a third-degree felony, unless the person committing the crime has been convicted of these actions before.
Qualified Harassment Defense Attorneys in the Coastal Bend!
If you feel like you have been wrongfully accused of harassment or any other related charges, you don’t want to go alone. Gale Law Group has a team of qualified attorneys who can help you with your case, and we’ll work hard to come up with the best defense. Our staff has years of combined experience in these types of cases, which is why we’re one of the top choices for criminal defense attorneys in the Coastal Bend.
If you want to find out more about how we can help you defend your case, feel free to get in touch with us. We would be happy to speak with you!