Generally, a disorderly conduct charge is one that prosecutors rely on when an individual’s behavior is abusive toward another person. Here are just a handful of the possible laws police and prosecutors might use when bringing charges against an individual who makes a prank phone call. It may sound outlandish to think of a prank call causing someone to have a felony on their criminal record, but the reality is that some prank calls can be extremely serious if they convey a certain kind of threat, or if they make the person on the receiving end of the call feel fearful for their own safety or the security of their property. A felony conviction can stop you from renting an apartment, furthering your career, working in certain professions, or result in prison time. This is because violating a federal statute means being charged with a felony. It goes without saying that a federal crime is almost always more serious than a state offense. Since the federal government regulates all telecommunications crossing state lines, state police may ask for assistance from federal investigative agencies who have more resources to investigate the motive or individual behind the call. If you make a prank call to a recipient who is out of state, you can find yourself facing federal charges. If a prank call contains threats that seem to target the recipient based on their race, religion, sexual orientation, or other specific identifying characteristics, a prank caller might find out the hard way that police and prosecutors often take these calls very seriously. Perhaps the person has been the target of a hate crime in the past and the prank call triggers an emotional response from past incidents. While it’s safe to assume that the majority of prank calls are intended as harmless, it’s important to note that the person on the other end of the call may feel true fear or anxiety about receiving this type of call as hate crimes continue to rise.įurthermore, hate crimes and racially or ethnically charged speech during a prank call can legitimately leave an individual of a minority group in fear for their personal safety. In fact, there are several laws that police and prosecutors may use to prosecute a prank caller. While this action might not seem like serious wrongdoing, prank calls can sometimes land a caller in hot legal water. This might include making a prank phone call on an unsuspecting victim. Almost everyone indulges in a few youthful mistakes when they’re a teen or young adult.

Prank calling illegal