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Figure out if you can be arrested for your prank call hijinks
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Prank calls are a cornerstone of any juvenile youth’s upbringing, but you may be surprised to learn you’re probably committing a crime when you place one of these calls. While placing a prank call on its own isn’t normally a crime, the content and context of a call often are. We’ll cover all of this and more.
Are Prank Calls Illegal?
It really depends on where you live and what the content of the prank call happens to be, but generally speaking, prank calls are usually a crime. Even in states where there’s no law against prank calls, you may incidentally be committing harassment, stalking, disorderly conduct, or more.
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References
- ↑ https://www.tilemlawfirm.com/new-york-penal-law-240-30-aggravated-harassment-in-the-second-de.html
- ↑ https://www.congress.gov/bill/114th-congress/house-bill/4057
- ↑ https://thesirenlppacs.com/4881/grid-features/a-talk-about-prank-calls-is-your-refrigerator-running/
- ↑ https://bjs.ojp.gov/sites/g/files/xyckuh236/files/media/document/naacp_hate_crime_laws_by_state.pdf
- ↑ https://www.cnn.com/2021/03/17/us/what-states-have-hate-crime-laws-2021-trnd/index.html
- ↑ https://www.justia.com/50-state-surveys/recording-phone-calls-and-conversations/
- ↑ https://www.cbsnews.com/detroit/news/center-line-high-school-student-charged-threat-terrorism-alleged-bomb-threat-note-macomb-county-prosecutors-office/
- ↑ https://www.rainn.org/articles/stalking
- ↑ https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-news/alex-jones-infowars-comedian-arrest-prank-call-1234731291/
- ↑ https://www.southerncaliforniadefenseblog.com/2023/12/is-prank-calling-illegal-when-can-a-harmless-joke-turn-criminal.html
- ↑ https://www.police1.com/legal/articles/tougher-penalties-for-prank-911-calls-in-tennessee-stWNX16WjRHFX0Mh/
- ↑ https://www.congress.gov/bill/114th-congress/house-bill/4057
- ↑ https://www.cnn.com/2024/01/14/us/swatting-incidents-trend-explained/index.html
- ↑ https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2002/10/how-hard-would-it-be-to-trace-the-sniper-s-phone-calls.html
- ↑ https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/consumer/phone-internet-downloads-or-tv/stop-getting-nuisance-calls-and-texts/
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