Disorderly Conduct

Disorderly Conduct is a term used to describe a variety of behaviors that are considered to be disruptive and criminal in nature. They involve actions that create a disturbance to other people in a public setting, and are minor offenses.

Types of Disorderly Conduct

Disorderly Conduct is defined by a statute, or set of laws and regulations. These may vary from state to state, but some of the commonly recognized examples are:

Vagrancy. People with no apparent means of self sustainment or support are referred to as vagrants. They are frequently thought of as being individuals who could obtain gainful employment but instead choose not to. A vagrant that spends time in a public area asking others for money or being a public nuisance can be arrested for vagrancy.

Loitering means to stand around in a public or private area for an extended period of time with no apparent purpose. It is a minor offense that is usually handled by simply asking the person to move along. The concern is that loiterers may be preparing for involvement in some sort of crime. The City of Chicago expanded the term's definition to specify "remaining in any one place under circumstances that would warrant a reasonable person to believe that the purpose or effect of that behavior is to enable a criminal street gang to establish control over identifiable areas, to intimidate others from entering those areas, or to conceal illegal activities". They created harsher loitering laws in the hopes of deterring criminal behavior, in particular gang or drug related dealings.

Forming a crowd in a public area is also considered to be a form of Disorderly Conduct. Even a peaceful gathering of people can be a public nuisance, cause traffic delays and have negative effects on nearby business locations.

Public drunkenness is a common form of Disorderly Conduct. People who have been drinking may be likely to harass others and disturb the peace in a quiet area such as a residential zone.

Punishment

Because Disorderly Conduct is a statutory crime, there must be an existing statute in order to convict the accused of committing an actual crime. Whether or not a particular activity qualifies will be decided by a judge. For those who do receive a conviction, the penalties will generally be minimal. The judge will sentence the guilty party, most often with nothing more than a small fine.

Disorderly Conduct crimes may be minor in nature, but they can be disruptive in a public arena. People who are overly disruptive may be asked to vacate the premises of wherever they are, or be forced to deal with police officers who have been called in to manage with the situation.

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