Peter Robbins, once the voice of Charlie Brown, pleaded guilty to stalking earlier this month.
The man who years ago gave Charlie Brown his voice in the iconic “Peanuts” cartoons pleaded guilty to stalking charges after allegedly assaulting his ex-girlfriend and hounding her for repayment for her breast enhancement surgery. Good grief.
Peter Robbins also pleaded guilty in the California courtroom to stalking the doctor he paid to perform the surgery. He faces a maximum of three years in prison when he is sentenced in May.
Prosecutors said Robbins’ then-girlfriend Shawna Kern broke off the relationship after the alleged assault, and the stalking began soon after. Robbins allegedly left a series of threatening voicemails, including one that warned, “You better hide, Shawna. I’m coming for you. I’m going to find you in Sun Valley or wherever the [expletive] you live and I’m going to kill you.”
The cosmetic surgeon, Dr. Lori Saltz, temporarily moved into a hotel and hired an armed guard to protect her office after the threats.
Criminal and Civil Remedies
Since California became the first state to outlaw stalking in 1990, all 50 states have passed similar laws. Each state law is a little different, but the two essential components are that the stalking action must make the victim feel unsafe or afraid, and it must form a pattern of harassment.
Some stalking laws specify extensive lists of prohibited tactics used by stalkers, while others have more general language that can make the cases harder to prosecute. Many of the laws define stalking as activity that would cause “reasonable” fear, but others require proof of “actual” fear, meaning that the victim might need to testify in order to secure a conviction.
In addition to the criminal statutes, civil stalking statutes have been passed in California, Kentucky, Michigan, Nebraska, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Washington and Wyoming. These laws allow victims to hold their stalkers liable for damages, such as the expense of Dr. Saltz’s security and hotel stay. Some of them also allow victims to sue their stalkers for the expense of court costs.
Even in states without civil stalking laws, victims may be able to file personal injury lawsuits to recover these expenses. But since stalking is not defined as a civil offense in these states, victims must usually prove a related underlying offense like trespassing or assault.
Restraining the Stalkers
Los Angeles attorney Edwin F. McPherson caters largely to a celebrity clientele and urges his clients who have stalkers to pursue civil action as early as possible, rather than wait for a pretext to file a criminal complaint.
Edwin F. McPherson
“The problem with a criminal complaint is that you need to have a crime first,” McPherson said. “Certainly you want to stop the harassment before it goes that far.”
McPherson said the best course of action if you believe you have a stalker is to immediately coordinate with an attorney and the police to pursue a restraining order. Any violation of the restraining order would be grounds for an arrest, and in some states it even brings a felony charge.
The peace of mind offered by a restraining order may only be temporary, however, since they typically expire after a number of years. In California, civil restraining orders can last a maximum of three years.
“I’ve argued that makes sense if you’re talking about a boyfriend, girlfriend, husband or wife,” McPherson said. “But in the case of a celebrity or anyone who doesn’t know their stalker, there’s no reason why those two people ever have to have contact again.”
“The catch-22 of these restraining orders is that you often need new evidence in order to renew them.”
The Stalking Resource Center, a victim’s advocacy group that encourages states to adopt strong civil stalking statutes, says that such laws could provide a solution to this problem. They highlight a civil suit that ended in a settlement in which the alleged stalker agreed to a lifetime restraining order, something the court didn’t have the authority to impose.
Do you live in a state without a civil stalking law? Do you think stalkers should have to pay for the measures their victims take to protect themselves? Let us know in the comments section below.
