Harassment, first degree, penalty
This law is about bothering someone on purpose. If a person does something — without a good reason — just to make another person feel emotional pain, and that person actually does feel emotional pain, it is a crime called first degree harassment. This is a class E felony, which is a serious crime. Police officers doing their job investigating crimes are not covered by this law.
Classifications stated in the statute. Actual outcomes vary.
565.090. , first degree, . — 1. A person commits the of harassment in the first degree if he or she, without , engages in any act with the purpose to cause to another person, and such act does cause such person to suffer emotional distress.
2. The offense of harassment in the first degree is a .
3. This section shall not apply to activities of federal, state, county, or law officers conducting investigations of violation of federal, state, county, or municipal law.
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Source & history notes
(L. 1977 S.B. 60, A.L. 2008 S.B. 818 & 795, A.L. 2014 S.B. 491) Effective 1-01-17 (1981) Statute defining offense of harassment was not unconstitutionally vague, and was not overbroad and did not deny due process. State v. Koetting (Mo.), 616 S.W.2d 822. 1985) Held not unconstitutionally overbroad. The caller's intent to disturb or frighten need not be the sole intent or purpose of the call. State v. Koetting (A.), 691 S.W.2d 328. (1987) Four harassing phone calls made directly to an individual's telephone answering machine falls within the purview of this section. State v. Placke, 733 S.W.2d 847 (Mo.App.).
Legal information, not legal advice. Always confirm with the official source at revisor.mo.gov.