On November 23, 2009, ESPN anchorman Erin Andrews’ declared stalker, Michael David Barrett, pled not accusable in a Los Angeles federal cloister house. Later that day, Los Angeles bent aegis advocate Stephen G. Rodriguez provided KABC-TV reporters with a accessible action abaft the prosecutors’ accommodation to book the stalking accuse in federal cloister instead of accompaniment court. Maybe this is a way to forward an aberrant bulletin to the paparazzi.
(Vocus/PRWEB ) December 11, 2009 -- Federal stalking accuse are attenuate in Los Angeles. In a lot of cases, a celebrity stalking case like the one involving Erin Andrews would be prosecuted beneath California accompaniment law rather than federal law. But Michael David Barrett is accepting answerable beneath the federal stalking laws for allegedly videotaping Andrews through assorted auberge aperture peepholes above the country, announcement the videos online and attempting to advertise the videos to account Web website TMZ. Why would prosecutors accept federal court? According to Los Angeles bent aegis advocate Stephen G. Rodriguez, “Maybe this is a way to forward an aberrant bulletin to the paparazzi.” Celebrities accept historically had problems with paparazzi advancing up with atypical means to photograph their clandestine lives. Barrett’s case is a admonition that the penalties for demography crooked photographs of celebrities can be severe.
Federal anti-stalking laws (“Interstate Stalking”) were adopted in 1996 as allotment of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA). The VAWA makes it a federal abomination to axis or annoy an alone from one accompaniment to addition if the stalking and aggravation causes abhorrence of austere abrasion or afterlife to the victim or the victim’s actual family. Federal stalking accuse backpack a best amends of 5 years in federal bastille and a accomplished of $250,000.
Barrett has been appear on bail and will be on abode arrest through the case’s conclusion. According to advocate Rodriguez, Barrett’s aegis could be difficult for a amount of reasons, including: 1) The IP addresses of the computers from which the Erin Andrews videos were acquaint can be affiliated to Barrett; 2) The email that Barrett beatific to TMZ aggravating to advertise the videos was traced aback to him; and 3) Hotel annal in assorted states approve the prosecution’s allegations that Barrett adapted Andrews’ auberge aperture peepholes to shoot videos of her. However, Barrett may be able abstain a confidence if his aegis advocate can appearance that the elements of artery stalking were not met, for example, that he wasn’t aggravating to (did not accept the absorbed to) alarm or abuse Andrews, but was just acting out a blue absorption or a animal fantasy.
Although stalking behavior has apparently been about forever, it is a adequately new crime. In 1980, the apple became acquainted of stalking behavior if Mark David Chapman murdered John Lennon. Lennon’s annihilation was followed by John Hinckley Jr.’s 1981 assassination attack on President Reagan – he anticipation he could get added Jodie Foster’s absorption by killing the president. It was not until 1990, however, in acknowledgment to the annihilation of added Rebecca Schaeffer – dead by a stalker – that California allowable the aboriginal U.S. anti-stalking law. Since then, every accompaniment in the U.S. has allowable anti-stalking laws. While the a lot of acclaimed stalking incidents absorb celebrities, the majority of victims are accustomed citizens.
If you are the victim of a stalker, acquaintance your bounded law administration agency and book a badge report. It is acceptable that bent accuse would be filed if there is abundant evidence. Alternatively, you may ambition to book a restraining order adjoin your stalker to anticipate added stalking.
In California, abnormally in Los Angeles, law administration and the commune and city-limits attorneys’ offices crop stalking accuse actual actively due to their accessible outcomes. Individuals doubtable of stalking are aswell apparent to added accompanying crimes such as assault , battery, domestic violence, agitator threats, trespass, rape and murder.
The bent aegis attorneys at Stephen G. Rodriguez & Associates aggressively represent defendants answerable with stalking. If you are accepting investigated, or answerable with stalking acquaintance our offices anon to altercate your acknowledged options. Do not allege to a detective or anyone from law administration until you accept announced to an accomplished bent aegis attorney.
Law Offices of Stephen G. Rodriguez
633 West 5th Street, 26th Floor
Los Angeles, California 90071
(213) 223-2173
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