Reno Ordered to Pay Wrongly Arrested Man's Attorneys Fees
Five years ago a man was arrested in Reno for violating Nevada harassment law and a protection order that turned out to be invalid. He eventually settled with the city for $50,000. And earlier this month, a judge ordered the city to pay his attorneys fees, amounting to over a quarter of a million dollars.
Nevada harassment law makes it a crime to deliberately threaten someone else with harm so that they reasonably fear that the threat will be carried out. The threats may be made with words or conduct, and the harm threatened doesn't have to be immediate to count as harassment. Stalking is a kind of harassment as well.
Penalties for violating Nevada harassment law depend on the severity of the circumstances. As long as no death or serious injury is threatened, a first offense is a misdemeanor carrying up to six months in jail and/or up to $1,000 in fines. Any subsequent offense is a gross misdemeanor carrying up to one year in jail and/or up to $2,000 in fines. But if the harassment does cause the victim to fear death or substantial bodily harm, then harassment is a category B felony carrying two to fifteen years in prison and maybe a $5,000 fine.
For more on this story, go to: http://www.rgj.com/article/20100702/NEWS01/100702022/1321/news
