Expensive Text Messages

The first SMS message was sent on December 3rd, 1992. SMS messaging became a widely adopted feature of mobile communication devices. Initially, AT&T charged 10 cents per outgoing message, and 2 cents per incoming message. Later, that price increased to 20 cents per message, whether incoming or outgoing. Fortunately, BlackBerry came along with its BlackBerry Messenger and helped kill high pricing for mobile messaging. Today, messaging is typically included with mobile plans and is free to all.

But text messages can still be very, very expensive. If one sends a threatening or harassing message, it can cost them vastly more than they might anticipate. Here’s how:

A threatening or harassing message or series of messages can lead to an order of protection against the sender and possibly even a finding of domestic abuse. Both protection orders and domestic abuse findings carry significant consequences, one of which is that the defendant (sender) must pay the attorney fees of the victim (recipient).

If an order of protection is already in effect, sending a message of any kind, even “I miss you,” to the protected person, will likely lead to a violation of protection order charge. A violation of protection order charge is a criminal accusation, meaning that the sender must be arrested, booked, and pay a bond and a criminal defense lawyer. A violation of protection order charge can enhance the claim of domestic abuse in a parallel civil proceeding such as a divorce or child custody case, meaning that the sender must not only pay for their own defense, but for all the attorney fees incurred by the recipient of the message.

When in doubt, don’t send that message. It could cost you more than you think.