Walk It Through: The Ex
A course of conduct on two or more occasions, a hearing within 10 days, and a court order that raises the degree.
After a breakup, the partner a nurse used to live with keeps calling and messaging at all hours and waits outside the hospital after shifts.
Two things a person in this spot might do. Picking one shows what the law says about it.
One nurse and one former partner. Cyber harassment, terroristic threats, and orders protecting a child are not worked through here.
A practice walkthrough, not a prediction of how any real one will go. Legal information, not legal advice.
Words this turns on
Terms with a legal meaning that is narrower than the everyday one. Each links to the definition and the authority behind it.
- Degree of crimeHow the code grades a crime, from first degree down to fourth. A crime of the third degree carries between three years and five years and a fine up to $15,000.00.
- Disorderly persons offenseThe grade below the crimes, punishable by not more than 6 months and a fine up to $1,000.00.
- HarassmentWith purpose to harass, making communications anonymously, at extremely inconvenient hours, in offensively coarse language or in another way likely to cause annoyance or alarm, or offensive touching or threatening it. A petty disorderly persons offense.
- Petty disorderly persons offenseThe lowest grade, punishable by not more than 30 days and a fine up to $500.00.
- StalkingPurposefully or knowingly engaging in a course of conduct directed at a specific person that would cause a reasonable person to fear for their safety or someone else's, or suffer other emotional distress. A crime of the fourth degree.
- Domestic violenceOne of the listed offenses, among them assault, harassment, stalking, terroristic threats, criminal mischief, trespass and cyber-harassment, committed against a protected person by an adult or emancipated minor.
- Temporary restraining orderAn emergency order for a victim of domestic violence, available even when the courts are closed from an assigned Family Part or municipal judge. A final hearing follows in the Family Part within 10 days.