New Canaan Disorderly Conduct Investigations

Being investigated on a suspicion that you engaged in “Disorderly Conduct” can be an invasive and stressful experience, even if you are ultimately not charged with any criminal wrongdoing. Support from a qualified defense attorney can be essential to handling New Canaan Disorderly Conduct investigations and minimizing the long-term consequences that may follow.

What Do Police Look for During Disorderly Conduct Investigations?

When law enforcement authorities open an investigation into an alleged act of Disorderly Conduct, the focus will be on uncovering enough evidence to convince the judge that the subject of said investigation likely committed a criminal offense. More specifically, they will be looking for evidence that the individual did one or more of the following:

  • Got into a physical fight with another person or otherwise engaged in “tumultuous or threatening behavior” in public;
  • Made an unreasonable amount of noise;
  • Obstructed pedestrian or vehicle traffic;
  • Disturbed a lawful assembly without lawful authority to do so;
  • Failed to obey a reasonable official request to disperse from a gathering in a public place;
  • Trespassed on someone else’s property and intentionally observed a resident without their knowledge while that resident was inside a dwelling and had a reasonable expectation of privacy; and/or
  • Engaged in “offensive or Disorderly Conduct” that annoyed or interfered with someone else.

Notably, intent is not always required for someone to be charged with Disorderly Conduct following an investigation in New Canaan, nor is the knowledge that what they were doing constituted a criminal act.

Relevant evidence that law enforcement may look for during an investigation could include footage from surveillance cameras, eyewitness testimony, reports produced by law enforcement officers, and multiple interviews with all parties involved. Additionally, anything the defendant says during the investigation—whether they say it during an interview or just in earshot of law enforcement personnel—could later be used against them as evidence that they committed a crime.

The Possibility of a DCF Investigation

When there is any suspicion that someone engaged in Disorderly Conduct that put any minor children in their household at risk of harm, the State’s Department of Children and Families (“DCF”) may open its own investigation. This investigation would proceed separately from any criminal investigation undertaken by law enforcement, and it may proceed even if law enforcement does not find enough evidence to assign criminal charges.

A DCF investigation stemming from a Disorderly Conduct allegation in New Canaan focuses on finding evidence that someone poses a risk of harming their children or that their children are not in a safe and healthy home environment. Accordingly, this type of investigation may focus much more intently on interviews with all household members and surprise home inspections.

Seek Help from a New Canaan Attorney During a Disorderly Conduct Investigation

Disorderly Conduct can have lingering consequences for you even if you are not formally convicted, thanks to how in-depth investigations can be. Fortunately, you have help available when it comes to dealing with New Canaan Disorderly Conduct investigations from knowledgeable legal counsel.

Call the Law Offices of Mark Sherman today to learn more, and click here to visit our Avvo profile with over 300 certified reviews from past clients.

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