PROSECUTION TIPS

1.  Prosecution begins with a police report. Report the stalking to the police and/or crime victim assistance agency. All of the safety advice above, all of the sympathetic friends in the world can not keep you safe from a determined stalker. Reporting the crime is sometimes the only way to stop it. Remember, police agencies and District Attorneys will work with you, keeping your safety their priority.

2.  Ask your local victim assistance agency for a legal advocate. An advocate is experienced in working with law enforcement and prosecutors to explore all possible options and keep you safe.

3.  Report each incident to the police or agency - even if you are not sure if the incident is directly related to your stalker. It is not uncommon for bizarre incidents that seem harmless to later turn out to be the work of the stalker.

4.  Trace all unwanted calls and all hang-ups with *57. Yes, *69 will tell you who called most of the time but it doesn't leave a legal record. *57 records the calls with your local phone company. After three traced calls, contact the phone company and ask them to work with you and the police on stopping the calls.

5.  Keep a journal of all stalking activity and, when possible, who witnessed it. For example, "7:53am, 11/11/00, Tim Smith approached my front door. Neighbor John Doe saw it." This journal will be an invaluable tool for prosecutors later. Do NOT, however, put anything in the journal other than the exact stalking info. If the case goes to prosecution, the journal will probably be turned over to the stalker's lawyer. An entry such as "I really want her to stop but I enjoyed the flowers she left..." could not only ruin the case but give your stalker future ammunition to manipulate you.

6.  Save everything the stalker leaves for you or sends to you. You don't have to upset yourself further by opening each letter or note but they are evidence. Turn them over to the police or your advocate.

7.  Screen your phone calls with an answering machine. Some stalkers will not leave a record of their activity but some will. If the stalker does leave a message, do not pick up the phone and do not erase it. Turn it over to the police or your advocate.

8.  Save any unwanted e-mails (including those not directly from the stalker but that she or he may have solicited on your behalf) and turn those over to the police or your advocate.

9.  Work closely with your advocate or police to find out if there is anything else specific to your case or your stalker that needs to be done to stop it.