Benjamin Staples of Salt Lake City doesn’t know when to leave well-enough alone, and his persistence finds him in jail once again. Staples has been arrested multiple times after entering the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints office building and requesting to see President Thomas S. Monson. Each time Staples has been arrested and told not to return, but he apparently insists that he’ll keep coming back until he gets to talk to President Monson. After Staples’ most recent visit, he was charged with stalking, a class A misdemeanor.
According to the Utah Code, a person is guilty of stalking who intentionally or knowingly engages in a course of conduct directed at a specific person and knows or should know that the course of conduct would cause a reasonable person:
- to fear for the person’s own safety or the safety of a third person; or
- to suffer other emotional distress.
Also, a person is guilty of stalking who intentionally or knowingly violates:
- a stalking injunction; or
- a permanent criminal stalking injunction.
A person arrested for stalking cannot use the following as a defense:
- say they were not given actual notice that the way they were behaving was unwanted; or
- say that they did not intend to cause fear or emotional distress.
Stalking is a class A misdemeanor, which may find you in jail for up to one year. The charges for stalking can increase to felony offenses if the stalking occurs more than once or involves a dangerous weapon or other means or force.
Call a Utah criminal defense attorney for assistance if you have been accused of stalking or any other criminal offense. Let an attorney explain your options and give you the help you need.
