Second-degree stalking is when someone purposely bothers or follows another person to disturb them. This is usually a lower-level crime (class A misdemeanor), but it becomes a more serious crime (class E felony) if the person has been convicted of stalking before, or if the victim is a law enforcement officer or a close relative of one. Police can arrest someone for this without a warrant if they have good reason to believe it happened. This law does not apply to law enforcement officers doing their jobs.
Classifications stated in the statute. Actual outcomes vary.
565.227. , second degree, . — 1. A person commits the of stalking in the second degree if he or she , through his or her , disturbs, or follows with the intent to disturb another person.
2. This section shall not apply to activities of federal, state, county, or s conducting investigations of any violation of federal, state, county, or municipal law.
3. Any law enforcement officer may , without a , any person he or she has to believe has violated the of this section.
4. The offense of stalking in the second degree is a , unless the has previously been of a violation of this section or section 565.225, or of any offense committed in another which, if committed in this state, would be or as a violation of any offense listed in this section or section 565.225, or unless the victim is intentionally targeted as a law enforcement officer, as defined in section 556.061, or the victim is targeted because he or she is a relative within the to a law enforcement officer, in which case stalking in the second degree is a .
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Source & history notes
(L. 2014 S.B. 491, A.L. 2017 S.B. 34)
Related Missouri laws
Stalking, first degree, penalty
RSMo 565.225
Filing a false vulnerable person abuse report
RSMo 565.222
Failure to report vulnerable person abuse
RSMo 565.218
Unlawful posting of certain information over the internet, offense of
RSMo 565.240
Invasion of privacy, penalty
RSMo 565.252
Law enforcement officers viewing or photographing during investigations or in prisons for security not an invasion of privacy
RSMo 565.257
Legal information, not legal advice. Always confirm with the official source at revisor.mo.gov.