Posted on Monday, February 3rd, 2020 at 1:02 pm
Have you been arrested for disorderly conduct, also known as “breach of the peace” in Florida? If so, you want to do whatever you can to avoid a conviction because a criminal record will haunt you for years to come.
Even though disorderly conduct is technically a misdemeanor offense, a conviction can have a negative impact on educational, employment, and housing opportunities. A conviction can even affect family law cases involving child custody disputes.
What is disorderly conduct exactly? Under Section 877.03 of the Florida Statutes, disorderly conduct includes:
- Acts that by their nature, corrupt the public morals
- Acts that outrage the sense of public decency
- Acts that affect the peace and quiet of those who witness them
- Acts that engage in brawling or fighting
Breach of the peace or disorderly conduct under Sec. 877.03 is a misdemeanor of the second degree, punishable by a fine not to exceed $500 and up to 60 days in jail.
Examples of Disorderly Conduct
Most states have some sort of a law on the books that makes disorderly conduct a crime. Typically, someone can be charged with “disorderly conduct” if they are drunk in public when they blast their car stereo knowing they are upsetting the people around them when they make a lot of noise and fail to stop after being asked to, when they engage in a loud fight in public, or when they get into a physical brawl around people.
Disorderly conduct is one of those nonspecific “catchall crimes” that police charge people with who have been behaving in a disruptive or offensive manner. Often, people are slapped with disorderly conduct when they’re disturbing the peace but are not presenting any actual danger to others around them.
If you’re facing disorderly conduct charges, you don’t want to ignore them. If you were to be convicted, not only would you face fines and possibly incarceration, but you would acquire a criminal record, which will have a negative impact on your future. To explore your legal defenses, contact The Morris Firm 24/7 for a case evaluation.