Disorderly Conduct Charges In Maine

Disorderly conduct is a criminal offense in Maine for which jail time is a possibility. If you or someone you care about have been arrested for disorderly conduct, call our law office today. A local criminal attorney in Maine can significantly increase the chances of avoiding a conviction.

Talk with Maine Defense Attorney Richard Hartley · Serving Bangor and all of northern Maine · Call now for your Free Consultation: (207) 941-0999

Examples of Disorderly Conduct

The most common applications of the disorderly conduct offense are 1. Intentionally or recklessly causing public annoyance to others by making unreasonably loud noises, and 2. Engaging in public fighting.

Some examples of disorderly conduct in Maine are:

• An altercation at a pub or bar
• Fighting in public
• Creating a false alarm
• Disturbing the peace
• Public intoxication

A disorderly is often associated with other charges or non-criminal violations resulting from the same event. Each charge will need to be thoroughly analyzed by a local defense attorney who understands the laws.

An experienced criminal lawyer in Maine knows how laws can be misapplied and can spot inconsistencies when the law is viewed in conjunction with the evidence and your constitutional rights.

Examples of Disorderly Conduct and related charges include:

• Disorderly Conduct
  And
  Simple Assault
• Disorderly Conduct
  And
  Resisting Arrest
• Disorderly Conduct
  And
  Terrorizing
• Domestic Assault
  And
  Disorderly Conduct
• Criminal Trespassing
  And
  Disorderly Conduct
• Criminal Threatening
  And
  Disorderly Conduct
• Criminal Mischief
  And
  Disorderly Conduct
• Under 21 alcohol charges
  And
  Disorderly Conduct
• Unlawful public marijuana use
  And
  Disorderly Conduct

Disorderly Conduct MISDEMEANOR

Under Maine’s criminal statutes, Disorderly Conduct is a Class E misdemeanor offense punishable by up to 180 days in jail and a maximum fine of $1,000.

Many out-of-state visitors are unaware that Maine treats public intoxication as the criminal offense of disorderly conduct—not as a civil infraction as the case may be in their home state. Maine no longer has a public intoxication law.

However, if police respond to a disturbance call where alcohol is involved, someone may get arrested for disorderly conduct.

Have you been charged with Criminal Mischief?

Criminal mischief is a class D misdemeanor crime in Maine. The offense is triggered by damaging, destroying or tampering with another’s property without reasonable grounds for doing so.

Criminal mischief punishment is up to 364 days of jail time and a fine of up to $2,000 (with no aggravating factors.) If you plead guilty to criminal mischief in court, the judge will sentence you and you will have no recourse to pursue a better outcome.

As with disorderly conduct, criminal mischief is often charged along with another offense, such as assault or domestic violence. In these situations, analyzing and investigating the main action in the state’s case may bolster your defense against all other allegations.

Vandalism or criminal mischief is rarely a “caught in the act” type of offense. Rather, the owner or a witness typically reports the crime after the fact. When this happens, police can arrest the suspect or issue a summons based on probable cause.

With proper defense counsel, criminal mischief charges can be dropped and you may be able to avoid a conviction.

Consult with a Maine Disorderly Conduct Lawyer

Disorderly conduct and criminal mischief charges don’t have to result in a conviction. A thorough analysis by your defense attorney may reveal that:

• The state made a constitutional error in handling its case against you, which can lead to key evidence being thrown out and the charges being dropped.
• There are other weaknesses in the state’s case. Skillful negotiations can convert these weaknesses into having all charges against you dropped in exchange for pleading to a single lesser offense, with substantially reduced penalties.
• You have a positive defense that should be fully explored. Examples include self-defense, mistaken identity and being falsely accused of the crime.

Criminal defense lawyer Richard Hartley can evaluate the state’s charges against you and find options to resolve the case so that your best interests are served.