New Canaan Disorderly Conduct Penalties
For help with understanding and mitigating New Canaan disorderly conduct penalties, you should speak with a top criminal defense lawyer. With professional legal guidance, you can stand a much better chance of avoiding more severe case outcomes and securing a positive one for your circumstances.
What Are the Criminal Penalties Related to Disorderly Conduct?
According to Connecticut General Statutes (C.G.S.) §53a-182, disorderly conduct is a class C misdemeanor offense. A person may face charges for this offense if they participate in any of the following actions:
- Making an “unreasonable” amount of noise
- Fighting with someone else within view or earshot of the public
- Interrupting someone else’s lawful gathering
- Refusing to disperse from a public gathering upon a police officer’s order
- Blocking pedestrian or roadway traffic
- Trespassing on someone else’s property and observing them without their knowledge or consent
A law enforcement officer may also arrest a person if they have probable cause to believe that person caused “inconvenience, annoyance, or alarm” to another person by acting in an offensive or disorderly way. This vague definition means that what might be arrest worthy conduct can change depending on the officer. While this is frustrating, it opens up more possibilities and opportunities for defense.
What Happens If I Am a First-Time Offender?
If someone in New Canaan is a first-time offender charged only with disorderly conduct, the maximum allowable penalties they would face upon conviction would be a three-month jail sentence and a fine of $500. As a first-time offender you may be able to benefit from Connecticut’s pretrial Accelerated Rehabilitation Program to avoid a criminal conviction and the ensuing consequences. A lawyer can help you weigh the pros and cons of taking this route and decide what the best option is for you.
Does Domestic Violence Increase the Severity of Disorderly Conduct?
Any person charged with disorderly conduct involving another member of their household, a family member, a spouse, or a relationship partner may have their case upgraded to a domestic violence offense. While this does not necessarily entail any additional criminal penalties, it can result in numerous other sanctions, including the issuance of a restraining order, restrictions on where the convicted person can live and work, and investigation by the Connecticut Department of Children and Families.
Will a Prior History of Domestic Violence Result in Further Consequences?
When a New Canaan resident has a prior record of domestic violence arrests and convictions, it may be harder to mitigate or avoid consequences like jail, fines, and probation. Depending on the circumstances, however, a dedicated attorney may be able to mitigate certain penalties by negotiating for a repeat offender to be enrolled in Connecticut’s pre trial Family Violence Education Program, which may allow defendants to substitute criminal penalties and other sanctions with mandatory anger management classes and six to 24 months of monitoring.
Learn More About Disorderly Conduct Penalties from a New Canaan Attorney
Working with a skilled lawyer could be critical to avoiding the most severe disorderly conduct penalties in a New Canaan case. Call Mark Sherman Law today to discuss your legal options during an initial consultation.