Public Nuisance Crimes

Public Intoxication Laws and Penalties

Can being drunk in public get you arrested and charged with a crime? Learn about the various state approaches to public intoxication.

Disorderly Conduct Laws and Penalties

Whenever people engage in conduct that is likely to cause a disturbance or lead to some sort of non-peaceful event, this behavior is often prosecuted as disorderly conduct, sometimes referred to as “breach of the peace.”

Disturbing the Peace

Disturbing the peace, also known as a breach of the peace, disorderly conduct, or by similar terms, occurs whenever someone acts in a way that disrupts the public order or disturbs the peace and tranquility of the community.

What Is a Vagrancy Charge?

Vagrancy laws still exist today. Learn what vagrancy is, how current law makes vagrancy illegal, and how vagrancy is punished.

Public Urination Laws and Penalties

Urinating in public is illegal in every state. Defendants may be charged under a law that specifically criminalizes the act, or the prosecutor may allege that the defendant presented a public nuisance or is guilty of disorderly conduct.

Obscenity Laws

Not many legal concepts reduce Supreme Court Justices to uttering, “I know it when I see it.” But that’s exactly what Justice Potter Stewart wrote about obscenity.

Illegal Dumping: Laws & Penalties

Illegal dumping and improper waste disposal can result in more than monetary fines, it can mean criminal charges.

Is Intoxication a Defense to Criminal Charges?

Most people assume being drunk might excuse their actions—but courts rarely see it that way. Whether intoxication can be used as a defense depends on how it happened and what crime was charged.