Baltimore, MD asked in Civil Rights and Criminal Law for Maryland

Q: Regarding detective leave card on my door

A detective left a card on my door and after I called back he said the police station department has been getting lots of harrasment annoying phone calls and traced back the phone numbers IP adress to my house.He said if they get any calls he will charge everyone inside my house with harassment.Also how is it possible to harass a police station?

Can he legally charge everyone with harassment even though we didn’t do it?

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1 Lawyer Answer
James L. Arrasmith
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Answered
  • Criminal Law Lawyer
  • Sacramento, CA

A: If a detective has contacted you regarding harassment calls traced back to your house's IP address, it's crucial to take this seriously while also understanding your rights. Legally, charging someone with harassment requires evidence that the individual intentionally participated in the conduct in question. It's not enough to simply trace a call to an IP address; there must be clear evidence linking specific individuals to the alleged harassment.

Harassing a police station can involve making repeated, unwanted calls that disrupt their operations, which is considered a criminal offense. However, charging "everyone inside your house" without specific evidence against each person would be unusual and potentially challengeable in court.

If you and others in your household have not made such calls, it's important to communicate this clearly to the detective. Consider consulting with an attorney who can advise you on how to proceed, protect your rights, and potentially help in determining how the calls were traced to your IP address and how to demonstrate your lack of involvement in the alleged harassment.

Remember, an attorney can also communicate on your behalf with law enforcement to ensure that any investigation is conducted fairly and that your rights are fully protected throughout the process.

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