Charged With Disorderly Conduct in Lake Como

The criminal offense that arises most often in Lake Como, especially during the summer, is disorderly conduct. This charge is issued in response to all sorts of behavior including being drunk and disorderly in public. Literally hundreds of disorderly conduct offenses are heard in Lake Como Municipal Court each year and we know this statistic well as both long time defense attorneys and former residents of this borough. The town is clearly a party hotspot with Bar Anticipation, Paul’s Tavern, McCann’s and other popular bars within its borders. Call our former prosecutors for immediate assistance if you are interested in avoiding the criminal record and penalties that come from a conviction for disorderly conduct in Lake Como. Our Belmar NJ Office is available 24/7 at assist you at 732-681-0080.

Disorderly Conduct Charges Have Serious Consequences

Do not be confused, your life will be impacted if you fail to properly defend yourself from this charge in Lake Como. If you are trying to become a CPA, nurse, actuary, doctor, teacher, police officer, or are otherwise subject to background review, you will have a record if you are convicted for disorderly conduct. Having a criminal record show up on such an investigation can cause complications in obtaining or maintaining employment. Some employers have blanket zero tolerance policies against hiring individuals with any sort of record. You definitely want to do anything that you can to successfully defend your Lake Como disorderly conduct charge.

N.J.S.A. 2C:33-2 Offense in Lake Como NJ

The first way someone can face a Manasquan disorderly conduct violation is under N.J.S.A. 2C:33-2. This New Jersey law prohibits two types of activities in public, namely, use of improper language and disorderly behavior. When the disorderly conduct arises out of words, the language must be unreasonably loud or offensive. Behavior will basically constitute a violation of 2C:33-2 where it is of a nature to cause unrest, physical conflict or risk of harm to others. Alcohol and intoxicants can often be a factor in Lake Como disorderly conduct arrests. In fact, the borough hires a large group of special officers (i.e. part-time summer police) to deal with the disorderly and other misbehavior in the summer and related violations like simple assault, possession of less than 50 grams of marijuana, resisting arrest and obstructing the administration of law.

Ordinance Violations

The Borough of Lake Como has adopted several of its own regulations, termed ordinances, that are designed to target improper behavior. The following are the related ordinances:

3-3.2 Prohibited in Public Places. It shall be unlawful for any person to change, disrobe, dress or undress or otherwise remove his clothing in any of the public streets or places of the Borough.
3-4.2 Failure to Obey the Orders of a Police Officer. Whenever any Police Officer shall, in the exercise of reasonable judgment, decide that the presence of any person in any public place is causing or is likely to cause any of the conditions enumerated in subsection 3-4.1, the Officer may, if he deems it necessary for the preservation of the public peace and safety, order that person to leave that place. Any person who shall refuse to leave after being ordered to do so by a Police Officer shall be guilty of a violation of this section.
3-4.3 Offensive Language. No person shall indulge in and utter loud, common, offensive, indecent or profane language, or address or make audible any offensive remarks or comments upon or to any person passing along or being on or in any public conveyance, highway, or public place.
3-4.4 Interference. No person shall annoy, obstruct or interfere with any person lawfully being on any street, or other public place or conveyance.
3-4.5 Fighting. No person shall revel, quarrel, brawl or otherwise misbehave in a disorderly manner to disturb the public peace and quiet, or be guilty of any other disorderly conduct in or on a street or public place.3-4.7 Indecent Behavior: Urinating or Defecating in Public.No person shall exhibit him or herself in any indecent, immodest, obscene or vulgar manner where a person’s genitals may be exposed to public view, nor shall any person make any indecent or lewd exposure of themselves or action any immodest, indecent or lewd manner or utter lewd or indecent words. No person shall urinate or defecate or attempt to urinate or defecate, nor shall any person expose their genitals for the purpose of urinating or defecating nor shall any person expose their genitals for the purpose of urinating or defecating in any public street, sidewalk, public grounds, semi-public grounds or on any private property not specifically designed as a lavatory, properly enclosed from public view and designed for the purpose of urinating or defecating.

While a conviction under N.J.S.A. 2C:33-2 is certainly less favorable that one for an ordinance violation, all effort should be made to avert any type of guilty finding. Indeed, even an ordinance violation cannot be expunged from your record for a minimum of two years.

Lake Como NJ Disorderly Conduct Lawyer

Many of our attorneys have spent much of their time growing up in Lake Como. Two have also spent large blocks of their lives residing in the borough. Given these circumstances and the fact that we are the largest criminal firm in Monmouth County, we know what is involved in winning Lake Como cases of disorderly conduct. Our attorneys are well aware of how the prosecutor deals with these charges and the best way to approach him and the police in order to favorably represent you. Call our Office in Belmar now at 732-681-0080 for assistance fighting your Lake Como disorderly conduct charge.