Criminal Defense Lawyers

Annoying Phone Calls: Penal Code § 653(m) PC

Virtually all of us carry cell phones with us all the time these days. As a matter of fact, you might even be reading this very article on your smartphone. Having cell phones with us all the time has opened us up to a great many new opportunities for commerce and growth in our personal lives as well. At the same time, it has made it possible for those who would like to abuse cell phones to do just that. They can at will start to make our lives more miserable by harassing us with a bounty of phone calls that we did not ask for and did not want.

It turns out that the state legislature in California has made annoying phone calls something that we can actually do something about. They have passed laws that make it easier for citizens to stand up and demand their rights to not have to continue to take annoying phone calls, texts, e-mail messages, and the like on their personal devices for any longer than absolutely necessary.

How This Relates To Stalking

It is not that hard to see the connection here between annoying phone calls and stalking. In fact, stalking is one of the major things that the State wants to deter from happening. They have made this clear by the actions they have taken to try to curb annoying or harassing phone calls. These are typically elements of stalking that people report. It is even more common in our modern society when those phones are practically attached to the hips of everyday people like you and me.

Example Of Annoying Phone Call Offense

A woman breaks up with a man and he becomes upset by this. In order to seek some kind of twisted revenge, he begins to bombard her phone with calls and texts at all hours of the day and night. It doesn’t matter in his mind that she has told him that she is no longer interested in seeing him, he feels that it is his right for her to respond to the messages that he has been leaving her. Failing to do so is another offense in his mind. However, the real offender in this scenario is actually the man himself.

Stalkers are not the only ones who may be guilty of annoying phone calls offenses. Rather, there are plenty of commercial offenses of this law as well. Sometimes people get call lists of individuals in their area that they then proceed to call up and try to pitch them on some idea or product that they have. This might not be so bad at first, but continuing to call people after they have expressed that they are not interested in buying what you are selling is an offense all by itself.

Defenses Against This Charge

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2024-03-21

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2024-03-18

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Guerline Menard

2024-03-18

Thanks again Spodek law firm, particularly Esq Claire Banks who stood right there with us up to the finish line. Attached photos taken right outside of the court building and the smile on our faces represented victory, a breath of fresh air and satisfaction. We are very happy that this is over and we can move on with our lives. Thanks Spodek law 🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼🙌🏼❤️

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2024-03-15

Believe every single review here about Alex Z!! From our initial consultation, it was evident that Alex possessed a profound understanding of criminal law and a fierce dedication to his clients rights. Throughout the entirety of my case, Alex exhibited unparalleled professionalism and unwavering commitment. What sets Alex apart is not only his legal expertise but also his genuine compassion for his clients. He took the time to thoroughly explain my case, alleviating any concerns I had along the way. His exact words were “I’m not worried about it”. His unwavering support and guidance were invaluable throughout the entire process. I am immensely grateful for Alex's exceptional legal representation and wholeheartedly recommend his services to anyone in need of a skilled criminal defense attorney. Alex Z is not just a lawyer; he is a beacon of hope for those navigating the complexities of the legal system. If you find yourself in need of a dedicated and competent legal advocate, look no further than Alex Z.

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2024-03-15

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2024-03-12

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2024-03-12

Very professional, very transparent, over all a great experience

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2024-02-28

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2024-02-24

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Google rating score: 4.9 of 5, based on 736 reviews

There are plenty of ways to defend yourself against the charge of making annoying phone calls. First of all, the law itself is rather vague on this. What exactly constitutes an annoying phone call in the first place? That is something that has to be more clearly hashed out.

Intent to harass has to be proven. The specific crime must be proven before there is any hope of prosecuting a person for the annoying phone calls situation. A lot of people have the ability to get out of this bind by showing that they did not have the intent to place annoying phone calls.

Getting An Attorney In This Kind Of Case

Even though you might be frustrated by having to stand for these charges in the first place, it is important to have a qualified attorney help defend you in this case. The reality is that only an attorney knows what defenses to use to make your life a little easier. They can help make these cases go away or at least lessen the blow as it were from these kinds of charges.

You definitely do not want to be the person who finds yourself trying to figure out how to answer the charges that you are somehow annoying people or a stalker. You know personally that this is not the case, so it is important that the rest of the world understands that as well. That is definitely going to be the only way that you can really clear your name in this kind of circumstance.

At the end of the day, a lot of people will end up needing an attorney to navigate through this one. The good news is that since the laws are so vague on all of this, you can probably win your case so long as you plan things out well enough ahead of time.

You have the power to find your case if you set your mind to it and make it your mission to get out of this particular bind.