August 6th 2024.
The state appeals court has recently made a decision in the case of Lori Elaine Christensen, a woman from White Bear Township who was once known as the "neighbor from hell." The court has overturned her previous harassment conviction, stating that the evidence presented by the state was not enough to prove her guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
The ruling, released on Monday, states that the state failed to prove that Christensen's behavior caused substantial emotional distress to her former neighbor, Amy Wheeler, as defined by state law. The court also noted that the evidence was insufficient to prove that Christensen's conduct would reasonably be expected to cause such distress.
Christensen, 61, was initially found guilty of felony harassment for three incidents that occurred between November 2020 and May 2021. However, she appealed the conviction and a panel of judges consisting of Matthew Johnson, Kevin Ross, and Peter Reyes reversed the decision, stating that the evidence did not support the charge.
Christensen gained notoriety over a decade ago for her ongoing harassment of her previous neighbors on a cul-de-sac in White Bear Lake. She was accused of various acts, including lewd gestures, loud swearing, and taunting the family's children. A harassment restraining order was issued in 2010, and she was cited multiple times for violating it.
In 2011, Christensen was convicted of two misdemeanors related to the violations, and in 2012, she was barred from living in her home and coming within a mile of her former neighbors. However, in 2021, she was accused of harassing her new neighbors, Tim and Pam Pharrell, but the case was dismissed by the Ramsey County Attorney's Office in the interest of justice.
One of the incidents mentioned in the appeal involved Christensen's interaction with Amy Wheeler, the sister of Pam Pharrell, in late 2019 or early 2020. Wheeler moved in next door to Christensen, and according to the ruling, the first two incidents of harassment involved Wheeler's 12-year-old son. However, the court noted that while Christensen's behavior was unneighborly and unkind, it did not meet the definition of "substantial emotional distress."
The court also mentioned an incident in 2022 where Christensen was convicted of disorderly conduct for yelling at a city worker and blocking his vehicle with her car. She was ordered to serve probation and electronic-home monitoring for this incident.
The Ramsey County Attorney's Office has stated that they will review the ruling and make a decision on next steps. Christensen's lawyer has not yet commented on the ruling.
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