New Maryland stalking and domestic violence laws effective O

these new laws have been in the works for about ten years. 47 abc’s justina coronel has the story. track 1 starting october first in maryland — victims of stalking will have more protection under the law. as the legal definition of stalking will officially grow beyond only physically following someone — to include other conduct that causes serious emotional distress to victims. those new offenses include misuse of telephone facilities and equipment, misuse of electronic communication or interactive computer service, revenge porn, and visual surveillance. and we know now that many people don’t actually follow somebody but they harass them using the internet. track 2 the law not only expands the definition of stalking — the crime will also now carry stricter consequences — beyond a misdemeanor offense. the executive director for the life crisis center in salisbury, michele hughes, says it’s been a long time coming. this new law is really what we needed all along because it includes things like revenge porn and telephone stalkingand it makes it a felony to stalk someone for the purposes of injuring them. track 3 hughes says stalking is illegal in the state of maryland and for most cases — it’s someone for the purposes of injuring them. track 3 hughes says stalking is illegal in the state of maryland and for most cases — it’s considered domestic violence but varies case to case. hughes tells us that each county in maryland is required by law to have access to a domestic violence program — offering legal services and counseling. we can help you, we can help you to safety plan, that doesn’t mean you have to leave. if you are uncomfortable with the idea of leaving the relationship but you want to be safe and make your children safe you can call us and we’ll help you. track 4 justina coronel, 47 abc. victims and survivors who are targets of these behaviors are encouraged to contact their local domestic violence or sexual assault programs. cloudy