Stopping Stalking
![handle is hein.journals/glj81 and id is 2801 raw text is: Stopping Stalking
SILVIJA A. STRIKIS*
In 1984, Kimberly Poland's picture was printed in a Maine paper be-
cause she won a pageant at the county fair.' A man who had seen the
picture immediately began calling and writing to Kimberly.2 From the
outset, Kimberly made it clear she was not interested in becoming ac-
quainted, but the man continued to call and write. He also sent gifts, such
as his old Army fatigues.' After spying on her at the store where she
4
worked, he would call her and describe what she had been wearing.
Over the next two years the man ignored requests from Kimberly and
her parents to stop contacting her. When Kimberly was recuperating from
surgery in 1986, he went so far as to show up in her hospital room, refusing
to leave until forcibly removed.' After this visit, the man's letters became
not only bothersome, but actually threatening.6 He sent drawings of
arrows dripping blood and described a plan to kidnap Kimberly from her
college.7 He was even accused of lodging an arrow in a tree on the
Poland's property.8
Kimberly's family had been concerned with the man's unusual behavior
from the beginning, but at this point the family took action to limit the
man's activities by obtaining the first of four orders for protection from
harassment.9 Despite the protective order, the man continued to call and
write of his plans to plain outright kidnap [Kimberly] for a night.l In
1988, the man followed Kimberly to college in Massachusetts, where he
was arrested after making threatening phone calls to her.11 Several more
* J.D., Georgetown University Law Center, 1995; B.S., University of Maryland, 1985. I
would like to thank Professors Heathcote W. Wales and Robin L. West for their comments
on an early draft of this note. This note' is dedicated to the memory of Anna Strikis.
1. Antistalking Legislation: Hearing on S. 2922 Before the Senate Comm. on the Judiciary,
102d Cong., 2d Sess. (1992) [hereinafter Senate Comm. on the Judiciary Hearing] (testimony
of Sandra Poland).
2. Id. An irony of the situation is that even though this man is harassing Ms. Poland, she
has been informed by counsel that she should not divulge his name. Id.
3. Id.
4. Id.
5. Id.
6. Id.
7. Id.
8. Id.
9. Id.
10. Id.
11. Id.
2771](ViewImageLocal?handle=hein.journals/glj81&div=80&collection=&method=preview&ext=.png&size=3)
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Stopping Stalking
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