Current through the 2024 legislative session
Section 6-2-506 - Stalking; penalty(a) As used in this section: (i) "Course of conduct" means a pattern of conduct composed of a series of acts over any period of time evidencing a continuity of purpose;(ii) "Harass" means to engage in a course of conduct, including but not limited to verbal threats, written threats, lewd or obscene statements or images, vandalism or nonconsensual physical contact, directed at a specific person that the defendant knew or should have known would cause: (A) A reasonable person to suffer substantial emotional distress;(B) A reasonable person to suffer substantial fear for their safety or the safety of another person; or(C) A reasonable person to suffer substantial fear for the destruction of their property.(b) Unless otherwise provided by law, a person commits the crime of stalking if, with intent to harass another person, the person engages in a course of conduct reasonably likely to harass that person, including but not limited to any combination of the following:(i) Communicating, anonymously or otherwise, or causing a communication with another person by verbal, electronic, mechanical, telegraphic, telephonic or written means in a manner that harasses;(ii) Following a person, other than within the residence of the defendant;(iii) Placing a person under surveillance by remaining present outside his or her school, place of employment, vehicle, other place occupied by the person, or residence other than the residence of the defendant;(iv) Using any electronic, digital or global positioning system device or other electronic means to place another person under surveillance or to surveil another person's internet or wireless activity without authorization from the other person; or(v) Otherwise engaging in a course of conduct that harasses another person.(c) This section does not apply to an otherwise lawful demonstration, assembly or picketing.(d) Except as provided under subsection (e) of this section, stalking is a misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for not more than one (1) year, a fine of not more than seven hundred fifty dollars ($750.00), or both. If a person sentenced under this subsection is placed on probation, the court may, notwithstanding any other provision of law, impose a term of probation exceeding the maximum one (1) year imprisonment, provided the term of probation, including extensions, shall not exceed three (3) years.(e) A person convicted of stalking under subsection (b) of this section is guilty of felony stalking punishable by imprisonment for not more than ten (10) years, if: (i) The act or acts leading to the conviction occurred within five (5) years of the completion of the sentence, including all periods of incarceration, parole and probation, of a prior conviction under this subsection, or under subsection (b) of this section, or under a substantially similar law of another jurisdiction;(ii) The defendant caused serious bodily harm to the victim or another person in conjunction with committing the offense of stalking;(iii) The defendant committed the offense of stalking in violation of any condition of probation, parole or bail; or(iv) The defendant committed the offense of stalking in violation of a temporary or permanent order of protection issued pursuant to W.S. 7-3-508, 7-3-509, 35-21-104 or 35-21-105 or pursuant to a substantially similar law of another jurisdiction.(f) An offense under this section may be deemed to have been committed at the place where any: (i) Act within the course of conduct that constitutes stalking was initiated; or(ii) Communication within the course of conduct that constitutes stalking was received by the victim then present in Wyoming; or(iii) Act within the course of conduct that constitutes stalking caused an effect on the victim then present in Wyoming.(g) An act that indicates a course of conduct but occurs in more than one (1) jurisdiction may be used by any jurisdiction in which the act occurred as evidence of a continuing course of conduct.Amended by Laws 2022 , ch. 98, § 1, eff. 7/1/2022.Amended by Laws 2018 , ch. 97, § 1, eff. 7/1/2018.Amended by Laws 2018 , ch. 63, § 1, eff. 7/1/2018.