Disorderly Conduct is a broad term and each state can have their own way of defining and acting when it comes to being charged. This article will explain and go into specifics about what disorderly conduct means when it comes to Maryland state law, go through the violations that can be seen as disorderly conduct, as well as detail the penalties associated with the crime.
Definition:
Disorderly conduct is defined by Maryland state law as behavior by a party or parties that disrupts the peace in a public place or on public transport. Acting in a disorderly manner means doing and/or saying something that offends, disturbs, incites, or tends to incite other persons gathered in the same area to the disturbance of the public peace.
What constitutes disorderly conduct:
Disorderly conduct includes behavior that could be viewed as being too noisy or disruptive. Even building a bonfire on the beach can lead to a fine if you are not aware of the hours that it is prohibited. Disorderly conduct laws target behavior that is likely to disturb or annoy others, including law enforcement officers, which gives this law blanket terms for more specific offenses. The following behaviors or actions can result in being charged with disorderly conduct:
- Exhibiting offensive actions that others find disturbing, including making an obscene gesture.
- Being unreasonably loud in public or on private property.
- Purposely blocking the passage of others in public areas.
- A “public place” generally includes any location that is not a home or office, which includes a restaurant, shop, street, sidewalk, public building, school, park, or bus station. As a general rule, someone cannot be convicted of disturbing the peace in Maryland unless their conduct disturbs others.
- There is a separate statute for preventing others from entering or exiting a medical facility by detaining the person or obstructing his or her passage.
- A “public place” generally includes any location that is not a home or office, which includes a restaurant, shop, street, sidewalk, public building, school, park, or bus station. As a general rule, someone cannot be convicted of disturbing the peace in Maryland unless their conduct disturbs others.
- Going onto someone else’s property to disturb the people there through noise or other behavior.
- Making an unreasonably loud noise to disturb the peace of another in a public place or mode of transportation.
- Failing to obey “move along” instructions of law enforcement officers.
- Disturbing the peace willfully.Purposefully acting in a disorderly manner that disturbs the public peace is another form of disorderly conduct. To act “willfully” means that an act must be both performed knowingly and with deliberate intention. When one acts by mistake, accident, carelessness, or another innocent reason, then the act is not necessarily willful under the law.
- Throwing objects onto the field or on spectators at an athletic eventThe interference with a commercial athletic event only applies to events that have an admission charge and keeps players and spectators safe by prohibiting throwing objects that could cause injury onto the field and stadium seats.
- Failing to obey a reasonable order form a police officer to prevent a disturbance of the peace.
- Making a bonfire between the hours of 1 a.m. and 5 a.m. (Worcester County only)
Penalties for Disorderly Conduct:
Under Maryland law, discorderly conduct is a misdemeanor crime and typically carries a sentence of up to 60 days in jail and fines up to $500. If you act to prevent entry into a hospital, however, the potential sentence is raised to up to 90 days in prison and fines up to $1,000. Interfering with a sporting event is punishable by up to three months in jail, but carries a smaller fine of $250. Finally, a person convicted of public intoxication could get up to 90 days in jail and a fine of up to $100.
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