Darien Disorderly Conduct Arrests

Even if an arrest was unfair, successful contesting Darien disorderly conduct arrests in court can be a complicated ordeal. A top disorderly conduct attorney can help you understand why your arrest occurred and work with you to pursue a positive outcome in the aftermath.

What Constitutes Disorderly Conduct?

In a general sense, disorderly conduct entails obstructing the lawful actions of or otherwise disturbing another person. More specifically, though, Connecticut state law names numerous actions that may expressly constitute disorderly conduct.

According to Connecticut General Statutes (C.G.S.) §53a-182, you can be arrested for disorderly conduct in Darien if a law enforcement finds someone doing any of the following:

  • Engaging in a physical fight with someone, or otherwise threatening someone else with physical harm through reckless or intimidating behavior
  • Annoying another person in an offensive way
  • Being so loud as to disturb the public’s peace
  • Interfering with a lawful assembly
  • Obstructing traffic, either in a road or on a public sidewalk
  • Refusing to leave a public place when directed to do so by a police officer

This statute also identifies observing another person while trespassing on their property as disorderly conduct. In order for this action to qualify as such, the accused person must have been observing the other person without their consent or knowledge, and the observed person must have been inside a dwelling—as defined by C.G.S. §53a-100—in which they could reasonably expect privacy.

Are Arrests for Disorderly Conduct Common?

There are two ways in which an arrest for disorderly conduct may proceed in Darien. Either the police seek a warrant for disorderly conduct based on evidence collected during an investigation, or—more commonly—they detain someone suspected of disorderly conduct after being summoned by the person(s) they allegedly disturbed.

Is Disorderly Conduct Clearly Defined?

What precisely constitutes “disorderly” conduct is extremely loosely defined. A person may be arrested at the scene of an alleged offense based purely on one party’s testimony, and depending on the results of a preceding or ensuing investigation, it may not take much for a misdemeanor conviction—resulting in fines and potentially even jail time—to result. Because of this, retaining an attorney is often essential for anyone facing this kind of accusation, even if they have never been arrested for anything else before.

Contest a Disorderly Conduct Arrest with a Darien Attorney’s Help

The circumstances under which you may be arrested for disorderly conduct in Darien are, unfortunately, rather broad. An action you may think was innocuous may seem to someone else like an offense worthy of criminal prosecution, and the police officer who responds to the scene has the authority to arrest you based on that account alone if they elect to do so.

Just because disorderly conduct is only a misdemeanor does not mean you should take an arrest for this alleged offense. Get in touch with a seasoned disorderly conduct lawyer at Mark Sherman Law today who can investigate the circumstances of your arrest and determine how your case can proceed from there.

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