“Hello?”
“Hello! Is your refrigerator running?”
“Yes…”
“Well, you better go catch it!”
Pranks like these were innocent enough as children dialing random numbers before texting and iPads were around for entertainment. But as adults, harassment via the telephone is no joke. Victims have found themselves the receiver of numerous unwanted telephone calls, voice mails, and texts messages. The use of the Internet to gain personal information, locations, and phone numbers has enabled individuals as well as companies to glean information they may not have had access to before.
Oregon Telephonic Harassment Defined
The law in Oregon states that telephonic harassment occurs when the caller intentionally harasses or annoys another individual. This could happen either by incessantly calling the recipient’s phone or leaving text messages and voicemails under the full knowledge that the caller has been explicitly been forbidden from doing so from the owner of the phone. It can also be counted as telephonic harassment if the caller continuously calls someone without any desire to speak to them.
Telephonic Harassment Examples
In Houston, people are suing I.C. Systems Inc. for telephonic harassment. Several people filed complaints on April 25th detailing that I.C. Systems had made several unsolicited phone calls to the victims’ personal cell phones.
Similarly, a woman in Houston filed a complaint against a New York Lending company under the name of The Money Source Inc. on July 3rd. She related that the unwanted phone calls had caused her anxiety and annoyance. She is going forward with suing the company for telephonic harassment.
On June 26th, a complaint was filed against Uber in regards to unsolicited text messages the company had been sending to customers.
A man phoned police on June 13th to complain about being telephonically harassed by a woman with whom he had met for a coffee two weeks before. She had since begun calling and texting him nonstop despite his pleas for her to cease her advances.
Though companies have been known to stoop to sending out phone calls and text messages to clients and individuals without consent, people have also been known to make such an offense. However, with individuals who choose to make this offense it typically ends up being tied into other breaches of the law as well.
Telephonic Harassment Charges in Oregon
Because telephonic harassment is a Class B misdemeanor in Oregon, the maximum amount of jail time is six months. The offender can be expected to pay fines up to $2,500.
Telephonic harassment claims normally only go through when the accused is knowledgeable about the recipient not wishing to be contacted. In some cases, phone calls and texts may ensue when the accused is unaware that the receiver did not wish for such advances.
Criminal charges of telephonic harassment can often be plea bargained– and in some cases– dismissed outright.
If you are charged with telephonic harassment, be certain to contact a qualified and experienced defense attorney.