State v. Jason. No. 9-679 / 08-1042
Stalking case. Jason is the scorned ex-boyfriend. Courter is the creeped out ex-girlfriend. At first this case was sort of fun…
During November and December 2006, Jason sent several letters (one included a check) and an unsolicited pizza to Courter, communications that she reported to the Iowa City police. The police applied for a warrant to arrest Jason for violating the no-contact order.
But then the facts just got downright creepy.
On February 7, 2007, Jason was convicted of the simple misdemeanor assault and the three counts of harassment. Jason stipulated to violating a no-contact order. On February 16, 2007, he was sentenced to 120 days in jail—all suspended—with the no-contact order being extended for five years. Jason stated at the sentencing hearing that he would never contact Courter again. However, he was released from jail just after noon on February 27 and sent an e-mail to Courter at 2:26 p.m. Jason sent more than 100 e-mail messages to Courter in late February and March 2007.
On March 10, 2007, Courter went out with friends in downtown Iowa City to celebrate her birthday. Jason showed up at the bar uninvited, approached Courter’s table, and reached across as if to grab her. Courter pulled out her cell phone and called the Iowa City police, a number she had programmed into her speed dial. Police could not locate Jason that night, but applied for an arrest warrant for the no-contact order violation.
On March 19, 2007, Jason started sending e-mails to the law student who served as a prosecuting intern at Jason’s simple misdemeanor trial. The messages indicated that Jason did not feel compelled to comply with the no-contact order issued by the magistrate court because “it’s a free country” and “no judge will tell me what I can do, I can do what I want.” He also admitted seeing Courter on her birthday and dared the prosecuting intern to file stalking charges.From mid to late March, Courter received e-mails from Jason that indicated he was in Florida. Some of them featured photograph attachments, including nude photographs where Jason’s body appeared to be smeared with feces and another where he had an erect penis. In others, Jason took on “the persona of a little boy” and talked about wearing diapers. In still others, Jason threatened to beat Courter “black and blue” and to “hunt [her] like prey.”
