§ 18-3-601 — Legislative declaration

(1) The general assembly hereby finds
and declares that:

(a) Stalking is a serious problem in this state and nationwide;

(b) Although stalking often involves persons who have had an intimate
relationship with one another, it can also involve persons who have little or no past
relationship;

(c) A stalker will often maintain strong, unshakable, and irrational emotional
feelings for his or her victim and may likewise believe that the victim either returns
these feelings of affection or will do so if the stalker is persistent enough. Further,
the stalker often maintains this belief, despite a trivial or nonexistent basis for it
and despite rejection, lack of reciprocation, efforts to restrict or avoid the stalker,
and other facts that conflict with this belief.

(d) A stalker may also develop jealousy and animosity for persons who are in
relationships with the victim, including family members, employers and co-workers,
and friends, perceiving them as obstacles or as threats to the stalker's own
relationship with the victim;

(e) Because stalking involves highly inappropriate intensity, persistence, and
possessiveness, it entails great unpredictability and creates great stress and fear
for the victim;

(f) Stalking involves severe intrusions on the victim's personal privacy and
autonomy, with an immediate and long-lasting impact on quality of life as well as
risks to security and safety of the victim and persons close to the victim, even in the
absence of express threats of physical harm.

(2) The general assembly hereby recognizes the seriousness posed by
stalking and adopts the provisions of this part 6 with the goal of encouraging and
authorizing effective intervention before stalking can escalate into behavior that
has even more serious consequences.

Legislative History

Source: L. 2010: Entire part added with relocations, (HB 10-1233), ch. 88, p. 293, � 1, effective August 11.