2023 Oklahoma Statutes › Title 21. Crimes and Punishments › §21-1173. Stalking - Penalties.

A. Any person who willfully, maliciously, and repeatedly follows or harasses another person in a manner that:
1. Would cause a reasonable person or a member of the immediate family of that person as defined in subsection F of this section to feel frightened, intimidated, threatened, harassed, or molested; and
2. Actually causes the person being followed or harassed to feel terrorized, frightened, intimidated, threatened, harassed, or molested,
shall, upon conviction, be guilty of the crime of stalking, which is a felony punishable by imprisonment in the custody of the Department of Corrections for a term not to exceed three (3) years, or by a fine not to exceed Five Thousand Dollars ($5,000.00), or by both such fine and imprisonment. Any person convicted of a second violation of the provisions of this subsection shall be punished by imprisonment in the custody of the Department of Corrections for a term not to exceed six (6) years, or by a fine not to exceed Ten Thousand Dollars ($10,000.00), or by both such fine and imprisonment. Any person convicted of a third or subsequent violation of the provisions of this subsection shall be punished by imprisonment in the custody of the Department of Corrections for a term not to exceed twelve (12) years, or by a fine not to exceed Fifteen Thousand Dollars ($15,000.00), or by both such fine and imprisonment.
B. Any person who violates the provisions of subsection A of this section when:
1. There is a permanent or temporary restraining order, a protective order, an emergency ex parte protective order, or an injunction in effect prohibiting the behavior described in subsection A of this section against the same party, when the person violating the provisions of subsection A of this section has actual notice of the issuance of such order or injunction;
2. Said person is on probation or parole, a condition of which prohibits the behavior described in subsection A of this section against the same party or under the conditions of a community or alternative punishment; or
3. Said person, within ten (10) years preceding the violation of subsection A of this section, completed the execution of sentence for a conviction of a crime involving the use or threat of violence against the same party, or against any member of the immediate family of such party,
shall, upon conviction, be guilty of a felony punishable by imprisonment in the custody of the Department of Corrections for a term not to exceed fifteen (15) years, or by a fine not to exceed Twenty Thousand Dollars ($20,000.00), or by both such fine and imprisonment.
C. Any person who:
1. Commits a second act of stalking within ten (10) years of the completion of sentence for a prior conviction of stalking; or
2. Has a prior conviction of stalking and, after being served with a protective order that prohibits contact with an individual, knowingly makes unconsented contact with the same individual,
shall, upon conviction, be guilty of a felony punishable by imprisonment in the custody of the Department of Corrections for a term not to exceed twenty (20) years, or by a fine not to exceed Twenty-five Thousand Dollars ($25,000.00), or by both such fine and imprisonment.
D. Any person who commits an act of stalking within ten (10) years of the completion of execution of sentence for a prior conviction under subsection B or C of this section shall, upon conviction, be guilty of a felony punishable by imprisonment in the custody of the Department of Corrections for a term not to exceed twenty-five (25) years, or by a fine not to exceed Thirty Thousand Dollars ($30,000.00), or by both such fine and imprisonment.
E. Evidence that the defendant continued to engage in a course of conduct involving repeated unconsented contact, as defined in subsection F of this section, with the victim after having been requested by the victim to discontinue the same or any other form of unconsented contact, and to refrain from any further unconsented contact with the victim, shall give rise to a rebuttable presumption that the continuation of the course of conduct caused the victim to feel terrorized, frightened, intimidated, threatened, harassed, or molested.
F. For purposes of determining the crime of stalking, the following definitions shall apply:
1. "Harasses" means a pattern or course of conduct directed toward another individual that includes, but is not limited to, repeated or continuing unconsented contact, that would cause a reasonable person to suffer emotional distress, and that actually causes emotional distress to the victim. Harassment shall include harassing or obscene phone calls as prohibited by Section 1172 of this title and conduct prohibited by Section 850 of this title. Harassment does not include constitutionally protected activity or conduct that serves a legitimate purpose;
2. "Course of conduct" means a series of two or more separate acts over a period of time, however short or long, evidencing a continuity of purpose, including any of the following:
a.
maintaining a visual or physical proximity to the victim,
b.
approaching or confronting the victim in a public place or on private property,
c.
appearing at the workplace of the victim or contacting the employer or coworkers of the victim,
d.
appearing at the home of the victim or contacting the neighbors of the victim,
e.
entering onto or remaining on property owned, leased, or occupied by the victim,
f.
contacting the victim by telephone, text message, electronic message, electronic mail, or other means of electronic communication or causing the telephone or electronic device of the victim or the telephone or electronic device of any other person to ring or generate notifications repeatedly or continuously, regardless of whether a conversation ensues,
g.
photographing, videotaping, audiotaping, or, through any other electronic means, monitoring or recording the activities of the victim. This subparagraph applies regardless of where the act occurs,
h.
sending to the victim any physical or electronic material or contacting the victim by any means, including any message, comment, or other content posted on any Internet site or web application,
i.
sending to a family member or member of the household of the victim, or any current or former employer of the victim, or any current or former coworker of the victim, or any friend of the victim, any physical or electronic material or contacting such person by any means, including any message, comment, or other content posted on any Internet site or web application, for the purpose of obtaining information about, disseminating information about, or communicating with the victim,
j.
placing an object on or delivering an object to property owned, leased, or occupied by the victim,
k.
delivering an object to a family member or member of the household of the victim, or an employer, coworker, or friend of the victim, or placing an object on, or delivering an object to, property owned, leased, or occupied by such a person with the intent that the object be delivered to the victim, or
l.
causing a person to engage in any of the acts described in subparagraphs a through k of this paragraph.
Constitutionally protected activity is not included within the meaning of "course of conduct";
3. "Emotional distress" means significant mental suffering or distress that may, but does not necessarily require, medical or other professional treatment or counseling;
4. "Unconsented contact" means any contact with another individual that is initiated or continued without the consent of the individual, or in disregard of that individual's expressed desire that the contact be avoided or discontinued. Constitutionally protected activity is not included within the meaning of unconsented contact. Unconsented contact includes but is not limited to any of the following:
a.
following or appearing within the sight of that individual,
b.
approaching or confronting that individual in a public place or on private property,
c.
appearing at the workplace or residence of that individual,
d.
entering onto or remaining on property owned, leased, or occupied by that individual,
e.
contacting that individual by telephone,
f.
sending mail or electronic communications to that individual, and
g.
placing an object on, or delivering an object to, property owned, leased, or occupied by that individual;
5. "Member of the immediate family", for the purposes of this section, means any spouse, parent, child, person related within the third degree of consanguinity or affinity or any other person who regularly resides in the household or who regularly resided in the household within the prior six (6) months; and
6. "Following" shall include the tracking of the movement or location of an individual through the use of a Global Positioning System (GPS) device or other monitoring device by a person, or person who acts on behalf of another, without the consent of the individual whose movement or location is being tracked; provided, this shall not apply to the lawful use of a GPS device or other monitoring device or to the use by a new or used motor vehicle dealer or other motor vehicle creditor of a GPS device or other monitoring device, including a device containing technology used to remotely disable the ignition of a motor vehicle, in connection with lawful action after default of the terms of a motor vehicle credit sale, loan or lease, and with the express written consent of the owner or lessee of the motor vehicle.
Added by Laws 1992, c. 107, § 1, emerg. eff. June 4, 1992. Amended by Laws 1993, c. 64, § 1, emerg. eff. April 13, 1993; Laws 1997, c. 133, § 307, eff. July 1, 1999; Laws 1999, 1st Ex. Sess., c. 5, § 205, eff. July 1, 1999; Laws 2000, c. 370, § 14, eff. July 1, 2000; Laws 2015, c. 206, § 1, eff. Nov. 1, 2015; Laws 2018, c. 153, § 1, emerg. eff. May 1, 2018; Laws 2022, c. 318, § 2, eff. Nov. 1, 2022.
NOTE: Laws 1992, c. 348, § 4 repealed the original effective date of Laws 1992, c. 107, § 1 (Sept. 1, 1992). A new emergency effective date of June 4, 1992, was given to that section by Laws 1992, c. 348, § 5.
NOTE: Laws 1998, 1st Ex. Sess., c. 2, § 23 amended the effective date of Laws 1997, c. 133, § 307 from July 1, 1998, to July 1, 1999.