What is Aggravated Stalking?
Aggravated stalking involves an offender stalking someone, and one or more of the following aggravating factors apply to the current stalking offense:
- The offender brandished a deadly weapon.
- The offender had a prior stalking conviction within seven years of the current stalking incident.
- The stalking victim is below 18 years old, and the offender is five years or more older than the stalking victim.
- The offender was legally required to keep away from the victim or their property based on a protection order, restraining order, or other court-ordered injunction for protection, and they deliberately violated the order.
- The offender threatened the victim or the victim’s spouse, child, parent, sibling, or other dependents to make them feel reasonably scared of their safety due to possible bodily injury or death.
You may face Class E felony charges and penalties if you get arrested for aggravated stalking in Nashville. Because of the harsh penalties you may face, it is in your best interest to discuss your situation with a skilled Nashville aggravated stalking lawyer as soon as you can.
What Are The Penalties for Aggravated Stalking in Nashville?
Being a Class E felony, the potential penalties for aggravated stalking are a fine not exceeding $3,000 and imprisonment of one to six years. Depending on the circumstances of the stalking incident, a judge may also put the offender on probation. Whether or not the judge orders probation on top of the felony penalties, they may also order the following restrictions and requirements:
- Prohibit the offender from stalking anyone while on probation.
- Prohibit the offender from having any kind of contact with the stalking victim, their spouse, child, parent, sibling, or other dependent.
- Submit to using an electronic monitoring device to track the offender’s whereabouts. The offender must also pay the cost of installing and maintaining the device.
- Undergo an assessment to determine whether the offender requires psychological, social, or psychiatric therapy. If the assessment finds the offender requires any of these treatments, they will be responsible for paying for it.
- If any of the offender’s required therapies requires medication, the judge may order them to undergo periodic drug tests to check whether they are taking their medication.
You should also know that having a previous stalking conviction will greatly affect the severity of your charge for the current stalking incident. In addition, you may face an especially aggravated stalking charge if the current offense involved the same victim or resulted in serious bodily injury to the victim, regardless of when your previous stalking incident occurred.
As a Class C felony, especially aggravated stalking comes with harsher penalties than aggravated stalking, including a fine of not more than $10,000 and prison time of three to 15 years.
Seek Legal Guidance From Our Skilled Nashville Aggravated Stalking Lawyers Today
If you have been charged with or arrested for aggravated stalking, get in touch with the Nashville aggravated stalking lawyers At Raybin & Weissman right away. If convicted, it may be part of your criminal record forever. Consequently, it will negatively affect your entire life, from your career to housing opportunities, social life, and family life. Set up your free consultation and speak with our Nashville aggravated stalking lawyers to learn more about your case by contacting us online or calling 615-256-6666.