Weston Aggravated Harassment Lawyer
As an experienced defense attorney can tell you, criminal harassment charges can wreak havoc on your personal life and substantially damage your professional prospects. Aggravated harassment—referred to as Harassment in the First Degree in the Connecticut Penal Code—is a particularly severe offense that can carry felony-level consequences upon conviction. When facing allegations along these lines, working closely with a Weston aggravated harassment lawyer is vital to protecting your best interests.
What Constitutes Harassment in the First Degree?
As defined under Connecticut General Statutes (C.G.S.) § 53a-182b, the components to Harassment in the First Degree must all be proven beyond a reasonable doubt to convict someone of committing this offense. These components include establishing that the defendant made a threat to physically injure or kill another person and made this threat knowingly and with the intent to “harass, annoy, alarm, or terrorize” the targeted person.
The defendant must have also communicated their threat over the telephone or through any form of written communication, including physical mail, email, text messages, and communication over the Internet. Additionally, the defendant must have previously been convicted in Connecticut or by any other “court of competent jurisdiction” of one or more of the following offenses:
- Capital Murder, if the conviction occurred in Connecticut prior to April 25, 2012;
- Any Class A felony;
- Any Class B felony, except for Promoting Prostitution in the First Degree and Larceny in the First Degree;
- Any Class C felony, except for Promoting Prostitution in the Second Degree, Bribery of a Juror, or Bribe Receiving by a Juror;
- Any form of Assault in the Second Degree, including Assault of an Elderly, Blind, Disabled or Pregnant Person or a Person with Intellectual Disability in the Second Degree with a Firearm;
- Any form of Sexual Assault in the Third Degree;
- Unlawful Restraint in the First Degree;
- Robbery or Burglary in the Third Degree;
- Reckless Burning; and/or
- Criminal Use of a Firearm or Electronic Defense Weapon.
A Weston aggravated harassment attorney can explain all of the above in more detail during a confidential consultation and offer vital assistance with constructing and executing a comprehensive defense strategy.
Potential Penalties for Harassment in the First Degree
Harassment in the First Degree is a Class D felony offense, which means someone convicted under C.G.S. § 53a-182b could face maximum penalties of five years in prison and $5,000 in fines, even for a first offense. If the person the defendant allegedly targeted was a family or household member, their charge may additionally be categorized as “family violence,” which could allow for additional administrative sanctions and family court penalties with or without an accompanying criminal charge.
Notably, this charge is prosecuted substantially more harshly than Harassment in the Second Degree, which is considered only a Class C misdemeanor in Connecticut. With that in mind, it is especially crucial for anyone dealing with Harassment in the First Degree charges in Weston to get in touch with a capable defense attorney sooner rather than later.
Contact a Weston Aggravated Harassment Attorney for Assistance
Accusations of Harassment in the First Degree can be challenging to contest proactively, and cases built around charges of this nature tend to have extremely high stakes. This is not a situation you should try to handle on your own. Fortunately, you can seek help from a seasoned Weston aggravated harassment lawyer from Mark Sherman Law. Call today to schedule a consultation, and click here to learn how our past clients feel about working with us.