In Pennsylvania, violent crimes such as harassment resulting from harassing and annoying another person is an offense that is not taken lightly. This violent crimes offense is known as harassment. A person commits the crime of harassment when, with intent to harass, annoy kidnapping or alarm another, the person strikes, shoves, kicks or otherwise subjects the other person to physical contact, or attempts or threatens to do the same; follows the other person in or about a public place or places; additionally violent crimes such as harassment require engages in a course of conduct or repeatedly commits acts which serve no legitimate purpose; communicates to or about such other person any lewd, lascivious, threatening or obscene words, language, drawings or caricatures; communicates repeatedly in an anonymous manner; communicates repeatedly at extremely inconvenient hours; or communicates repeatedly in a manner other than specified in the statute. The grading of your harassment offense relies on a number of different factors.
There are several different factors that affect the grading of your harassment charges. If you commit harassment-subject other physical contact, follow in public place, or course of assault crimes conduct w/ no legitimate purpose, you are committing a summary offense. If you commit one of those acts and have previously violated an order involving the same victim, family or household member, your offense is bumped up to a misdemeanor of the third degree. If you commit harassment-lewd communication; repeated, anonymous communication; repeated communication: inconvenient hours; repeated communication: other, you are committing a misdemeanor of the third degree. If you or someone you know is facing harassment charges, it is important to contact a criminal defense attorney as soon as possible regarding your case. The representation of a criminal defense attorney will ensure that your case receives the best outcome possible.