THREATS, HARASSMENT, & RECKLESS ENDANGERMENT ATTORNEY IN PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA

Feeling abused or threatened by those close to you probably makes you feel helpless, betrayed, or even angry. Because that other person is crossing boundaries you are not comfortable with, it can put you in an awkward situation, especially when it becomes necessary to get a lawyer involved.

On the other hand, you also need an attorney if you have been accused of sending threats or harassing someone. In either case, it is important to know the consequences for one who has committed such acts, and how an attorney can help your case. When you’re involved with one of these cases in the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, area and beyond, you will know what to do and how you can do it with my help.

KNOW THE DIFFERENCE

Threats

Threatening an individual is the act of communicating an intent to inflict harm, whether physical or otherwise, on another. You can be charged with a crime by threatening to do any of the following:

• Use a deadly weapon on another person

• Injure another’s person or property

• Injure another’s reputation

It is a federal offense to use the mail to transmit threatening communications or threatening to harm the president. In addition, using intimidation as a strategy for collecting unpaid debt is held under unlawful communication, and you may be prosecuted for extortion. These threats do not fall under an individual’s First Amendment right to free speech.

Harassment

“Harassment” can refer to many behaviors inflicted on one person by another. There are many different categories of harassment, including civil, criminal, stalking, menacing, and cyberstalking. In the United States, the most common victims of cyberstalking are women between the ages of 18-29, but over 40% of stalking victims are men, according to a Rutgers University and University of Pennsylvania study.

Harassment laws in Pennsylvania first require the victim to prove that something was said. It is obviously difficult to prove verbal harassment in the event it wasn’t recorded, but other mediums like email, social media, and texting are concrete forms of evidence that can help your case.

Second, that evidence must prove the intent of the communication, such as annoyance, torment, embarrassment, or physical harm. A criminal victim’s attorney is responsible for discovering that evidence and proving malicious intent, while a criminal defense attorney’s role is to prove the evidence is not grounds for prosecution. I can represent you regardless of what side of the case you’re on.

Reckless Endangerment

According to Pennsylvania Consolidated Statute Title 18, reckless endangerment is “the act of placing another person in danger of death or serious injury. Examples of this crime are:

• Allowing children to go unsupervised

• Letting children come into contact with or use dangerous objects/chemicals

• Ignoring safety rules on construction sites

• Driving while under the influence

• Not letting former or prospective sexual partners know of your STDs

• Traffic violations such as driving on the sidewalk

• Pointing a weapon in someone’s direction

You will be charged a second-degree misdemeanor if you become convicted of reckless endangerment in Pennsylvania. Punishments include up to two years in prison and a $5,000 fine and will leave a mark on your permanent record.

If you’ve been falsely accused of threatening, harassing, or recklessly endangering one or more people, contact me immediately, I have been a practicing criminal defense attorney for nearly two decades and will build a case in pursuit of a reduced sentence or dropped charges.

On the other hand, I can provide legal guidance if you’ve been victimized. My experience working for clients who have been on both sides of the charge only gives you an advantage in the courtroom because I have insight into strategies that they could use to falsify or otherwise disprove your claim.