x-sender: governor.haley@sc.lmhostediq.com x-receiver: governor.haley@sc.lmhostediq.com Received: from mail pickup service by IQ12 with Microsoft SMTPSVC; Fri, 27 Mar 2015 18:28:12 -0400 thread-index: AdBo3U+g6nLuXKjxTjWeIk9tVwYgKw== Thread-Topic: Needed criminal laws concerning restraining orders From: To: Subject: Needed criminal laws concerning restraining orders Date: Fri, 27 Mar 2015 18:28:12 -0400 Message-ID: MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit X-Mailer: Microsoft CDO for Windows 2000 Content-Class: urn:content-classes:message Importance: normal Priority: normal X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.1.7601.17609 X-OriginalArrivalTime: 27 Mar 2015 22:28:12.0876 (UTC) FILETIME=[4FBF90C0:01D068DD] CUSTOM Miss Angela C. Fellenz 4429 N. Plantation Harbour Drive Unit A Little River SC 29566 angela.fellenz@yahoo.com 843-458-9300 843-458-9300 JUDI Needed criminal laws concerning restraining orders Dear Governor Haley, The following is an email that I sent to Greg Duckworth. I would normally have sent it cc but I couldn't locate a direct email for you. There is much more to my story than written but I didn't want to write a book. I just want two much needed laws added. Thank you for reading. I spoke with you the other day about a restraining order that I have on someone. I am being followed by private investigators and I learned after my visit to the NMB police dept. that it is not illegal for my stalker/abuser to hire a private investigator to follow me and report my whereabouts to him even though the restraining order signed by Judge Harris clearly states that my stalker/abuser was found to have committed the acts of stalking and harassing me. If my stalker/abuser paid someone to kill me he would be guilty of killing me himself. My abuser is paying someone to stalk me and report to him. How is that any different than him doing it himself? The private investigator can give him my location and my abuser could potentially kill me with this information. I'm sure that this has happened many times and I will be researching for statistics on this. Hiring a private investigator to follow me is stalking and harassment. I was in complete disbelief when I learned that this was legal. How is that possible? The following information is what I found concerning South Carolina's definition of harassment and stalking. Please read the legal definition of harassment, #4 in particular as well as the legal definition of stalking and then ask yourself, "If a reasonable person fears that they will be killed, assaulted, injured, sexually abused, kidnapped or subject to property damage by their stalker, should it be legal for that stalker to hire someone to tell them where their victim is?" NO! That is everyone's answer. Absolutely not! Common sense tells everyone that! Harassment means a pattern of intentional, substantial, and unreasonable intrusion into your private life that serves no legitimate purpose and would cause a "reasonable person" to suffer mental or emotional distress. Harassment may include, but is not limited to: 1. following you; 2. verbal, written, or electronic contact that is initiated, maintained, or repeated and actually causes you mental distress; 3. visual or physical contact that takes place after you have told the person not to contact you or after you filed an incident report with the police; 4. staying around or doing surveillance of your home, workplace, school, or other place you regularly go; and/or 5. vandalism and property damage.* Stalking means a pattern of words (verbal, written, or electronic) or conduct that serves no legitimate purpose and is intended to cause you and does cause you (and would cause a "reasonable person") to fear that you or your family member will be: 1. killed 2. assaulted 3. injured 4. criminally sexually abused 5. kidnapped or 6. subjected to property damage.** Note: In the definition of stalking, a "pattern" means two or more acts; "family member" means your spouse, child, parent, sibling, or a person who regularly resides in the same household with you.*** * S.C. Code § 16-3-1700(A), (B) ** S.C. Code § 16-3-1700(C) *** S.C. Code § 16-3-1700(D), (E) I live in fear of my safety and my life. I have been subjected to property damage after the RO against my stalker/abuser was issued. The Horry County Police didn't even take finger prints after someone disassembled my garage door from the inside of my home. I've woken up to find my doors unlocked even though I always double check. I could go on and on with how my abuser is terrorizing me. I have gone to a great deal of expense making my home safer. Rekeyed locks and bolts for all my doors. Additional bolts inside the doors. Wooden planks in heavy steel brackets across the inside of the doors in my garage. I leave all exterior lights on now. I bolt lock myself into my bedroom every night. I carry mace everywhere I go with my finger on the trigger when leaving and returning to my car every time I'm out. I keep a gun beside me at home even if I'm just watching TV. My abuser is still abusing. The police officer who came when I called about my garage being disassembled should have taken this more seriously. This is one of the reasons that South Carolina is number one in the country for women being murdered by men. I could never have imagined that I would find myself in this position. But more shocking was finding out there was no law preventing my stalker/abuser from hiring someone to tell him where I was and what I was doing. That was mind blowing. I was born and raised in this state. I know the reputation we have on domestic violence. It's embarrassing. It's time for South Carolina to start leading the war on this. Not continue to ignore it and sweep it under the rug. I would like to know what I can do to change this. To make it a criminal offense not only for someone with a restraining order against them to have the victim followed by a private investigator but a law preventing the private investigator from following the victim of someone with a restraining order against them. I would truly appreciate any information you can give me or anything you personally can do to make it a serious crime on both of the above mentioned offenses. Best Regards, Angela Fellenz