Maryland Disorderly Conduct Lawyer

Disorderly conduct is any kind of conduct that tends to interfere with the public peace, such as making a loud ruckus in a public space. Not obeying reasonable and lawful orders sometimes will frequently go along with a disorderly conduct charge. When a person is charged with disorderly conduct, they may not understand the charges and not know what steps to take to ensure that their future is not impacted in a negative way. When a person feels this way, it is essential for them to contact a disorderly conduct lawyer in Maryland who can help them through the legal process.

Frequent Charges

Disorderly conduct often occurs if there is any kind of altercation, like a fight in a bar or restaurant. Sometimes it occurs with people just getting drunk and running around making noise. In a suburban Maryland context of kids having parties that are loud, for example, the police will come ask people to keep it down. If they come back, they may issue disorderly conduct violations to people. That is typically where these disorderly conduct cases occur.

Public drunkenness only counts if you make a noise or cause some kind of disturbance. Sitting silently and being extremely impaired is not illegal, but causing any kind of disturbance could potentially raise it to a disorderly conduct.

Political protest, if done in an orderly way, will not lead to disorderly conduct charges. It does only if it creates a disturbance. Protest is protected speech, and thus legal in this country, and not intended to be prohibited by disorderly conduct statutes.

Disorderly Conduct at Sporting Events

Anywhere people are likely to act up, including sporting events, is somewhere you could see disorderly conduct. People get excited during sporting events and are likely consuming a good amount of alcohol, impairing their better judgement.

People who attend sporting events for teams like the Baltimore Ravens or Orioles may be in a situation where potential disorderly conduct could occur. Due to the possibility of such an event occurring at a sporting event, there are often a number of Maryland law enforcement officers in attendance.

Role of a Maryland Disorderly Conduct Attorney

Misdemeanor disorderly conduct charges carry the possibility of incarceration. Having a Maryland disorderly conduct attorney look at the facts, advise you on what you need to do to prepare and tell you how these cases are heard in your jurisdiction is extremely important. Any time there is a possibility of incarceration, it is important to consult with a Maryland lawyer who has experience working on disorderly conduct cases.

Possible Defenses

Potential defenses for disorderly conduct are going to be identification issues. If there is a large group of people, knowing exactly which person was engaged in the disorderly behavior can be an issue. In terms of mitigation, that is going to depend on a person’s criminal history. Not having been charged before is a major mitigating factor. Sometimes, depending on the nature of the case, you may want to enroll in some kind of alcohol education if alcohol was an issue in a disorderly conduct charge, which very often it is. These are all defenses that a Maryland disorderly conduct lawyer will take into consideration when reviewing a case.