Tennessee law defining stalking has many elements. Stalking is defined as a willful course of conduct involving repeated or continuing harassment of another individual that would cause a reasonable person to feel terrorized, frightened, intimidated, threatened, harassed, or molested, and that actually causes the victim to feel terrorized, frightened, intimidated, threatened, harassed, or molested. Often, the accused and the victim know each other or have had a past relationship. Stalking is one of the crimes that fall into the general category of domestic violence charges.
The bottom line is that stalking is two or more separate acts or events of unconsented conduct that would cause the victim significant mental suffering or distress.
Disregard of a person's expressed desire that the contact be avoided or discontinued includes following a person, approaching or confronting a person in private or public place, coming to person's workplace or home, contacting by telephone, sending mail or electronic mail, or even placing an object or delivering an object to a person's home.
This basic form of stalking is a Class A Misdemeanor. This charge can be handled in General Sessions court. Tennessee also has two higher degrees of stalking, aggravated stalking, a Class E Felony; and especially aggravated stalking, a Class C Felony, which are very serious charges and are handled in Circuit Criminal Court.
If you have any questions about a domestic assault or domestic violence case please contact Rob McKinney at 615-686-2115, via email, or visit www.mckinneylawfirm.com
