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Harassment - 18 Pa. Cons. Stat. § 2709

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     § 2709.  Harassment.
        (a)  Offense defined.--A person commits the crime of
     harassment when, with intent to harass, annoy or alarm another,
     the person:
            (1)  strikes, shoves, kicks or otherwise subjects the
        other person to physical contact, or attempts or threatens to
        do the same;
            (2)  follows the other person in or about a public place
        or places;
            (3)  engages in a course of conduct or repeatedly commits
        acts which serve no legitimate purpose;
            (4)  communicates to or about such other person any lewd,
        lascivious, threatening or obscene words, language, drawings
        or caricatures;
            (5)  communicates repeatedly in an anonymous manner;
            (6)  communicates repeatedly at extremely inconvenient
        hours; or
            (7)  communicates repeatedly in a manner other than
        specified in paragraphs (4), (5) and (6).
        (b)  Stalking.--(Deleted by amendment).
        (b.1)  Venue.--
            (1)  An offense committed under this section may be
        deemed to have been committed at either the place at which
        the communication or communications were made or at the place
        where the communication or communications were received.
            (2)  Acts indicating a course of conduct which occur in
        more than one jurisdiction may be used by any other
        jurisdiction in which an act occurred as evidence of a
        continuing pattern of conduct or a course of conduct.
        (c)  Grading.--
            (1)  An offense under subsection (a)(1), (2) or (3) shall
        constitute a summary offense.
            (2)  (i)  An offense under subsection (a)(4), (5), (6) or
            (7) shall constitute a misdemeanor of the third degree.
                (ii)  (Deleted by amendment).
        (d)  False reports.--A person who knowingly gives false
     information to any law enforcement officer with the intent to
     implicate another under this section commits an offense under
     section 4906 (relating to false reports to law enforcement
     authorities).
        (e)  Application of section.--This section shall not apply to
     conduct by a party to a labor dispute as defined in the act of
     June 2, 1937 (P.L.1198, No.308), known as the Labor Anti-
     Injunction Act, or to any constitutionally protected activity.
        (e.1)  Course of conduct.--(Deleted by amendment).
        (f)  Definitions.--As used in this section, the following
     words and phrases shall have the meanings given to them in this
     subsection:
        "Communicates."  Conveys a message without intent of
     legitimate communication or address by oral, nonverbal, written
     or electronic means, including telephone, electronic mail,
     Internet, facsimile, telex, wireless communication or similar
     transmission.
        "Course of conduct."  A pattern of actions composed of more
     than one act over a period of time, however short, evidencing a
     continuity of conduct. Acts indicating a course of conduct which
     occur in more than one jurisdiction may be used by any other
     jurisdiction in which an act occurred as evidence of a
     continuing pattern of conduct or a course of conduct.
        "Emotional distress."  (Deleted by amendment).
        "Family or household member."  (Deleted by amendment).
     (June 23, 1993, P.L.124, No.28, eff. imd.; Oct. 2, 1997,
     P.L.379, No.44, eff. 60 days; Dec. 15, 1999, P.L.915, No.59,
     eff. 60 days; Dec. 9, 2002, P.L.1759, No.218, eff. 60 days)

        2002 Amendment.  See sections 9 and 10 of Act 218 in the
     appendix to this title for special provisions relating to
     references to section 2709 and references to section 5504.
        Cross References.  Section 2709 is referred to in sections
     4954, 4955, 5708 of this title; section 3304 of Title 5
     (Athletics and Sports); sections 6108, 6711 of Title 23
     (Domestic Relations); section 3573 of Title 42 (Judiciary and
     Judicial Procedure).

Last modified: November 27, 2007