Disorderly Conduct Charges in Los Angeles

Los Angeles Misdemeanor Attorney

Unlike other California laws, the disorderly conduct statute covers a variety of seemingly unrelated and minor activities. Thousands of people are arrested every year in and around Los Angeles for disorderly conduct, giving rise to the saying that the laws are in effect to allow police officers the right to arrest people who annoy them. Even though disorderly conduct is charged as a misdemeanor, it still creates a criminal history and should be taken seriously. If you have been arrested for disorderly conduct, it is imperative that you get in contact with Stephen G. Rodriguez and Associates immediately. Due to how broadly the laws are interpreted, you will want a knowledgeable Los Angeles criminal defense lawyer at our firm to review the circumstances surrounding your arrest and determine whether any crime has been committed. We have the experience it takes to look at a disorderly conduct charge from every angle and get the charge dismissed if possible; or at least get the charge reduced. Let us help you protect your rights!

Misdemeanor Lawyer in Los Angeles

The disorderly conduct law is contained In the California Penal Code, Section 647 and describes the "catch all" misdemeanor crime. Some of the varied behaviors that can constitute disorderly conduct include:

Touching one's own or another person's genitals, buttocks or breasts for self-gratification or to annoy the other person, defined as lewd public conduct, e.g.,. a person who grabs his own genitals and makes suggestive comments as people walk past
Loitering around a public toilet to engage in a lewd or unlawful act, e.g., a person who waits by the entrance of a men's room at the LA airport to solicit sex
Loitering, i.e., standing or wandering around private property with no lawful purpose
Engaging in prostitution, i.e., soliciting or agreeing to engage another in an act of prostitution
Panhandling
Squatting, i.e., living in a building or other place without the owner's permission
Being publically drunk such as under the influence of drugs or alcohol in a public place to the degree that you are a threat to your safety or that of others' and/or obstructing the public way
Window peeping in windows or doors of private structures while loitering, e.g., a "Peeping Tom"
Electronic peeping by looking through a hole or other opening in a bedroom, tanning booth, fitting room or any other private place using something other than eyes, e.g., using a camera or binoculars

The penalty in California for a first degree disorderly conduct conviction is up to 180 days of county jail time and/or various fines. Although it is unlikely that a first offense will result in jail, if the circumstances are serious and/or you are a repeat offender, a conviction can result in considerable jail time and/or community service.

At our firm, with over 70 years of a collective legal background, all of the attorneys have developed formidable negotiation skills and can raise all of the reasons why the penalties for your crime should be as minimal as possible. With our extensive experience in criminal matters, we are often able to focus the prosecutor's and judge's attention on our clients' strengths in order to win a reduction in their sentences, sometimes even poking holes in their cases and getting outright dismissals of all charges. We aggressively protect our clients' rights and freedoms and pledge , if retained by you, to provide you with accurate information, to communicate your options to you clearly and to answer all of your questions. With a goal of making the criminal process less frustrating and providing the best legal defense possible, we want our clients to feel informed and secure at all times with the decisions they make in their criminal matter.

For an aggressive protection of your rights and freedom, please contact a Los Angeles misdemeanor attorneyat Stephen G. Rodriguez & Associates.