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Article: Disorderly Conduct
- Article from:
- West's Encyclopedia of American Law
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DISORDERLY CONDUCT
A broad term describing conduct that disturbs the peace or endangers the morals, health, or safety of a community.
Unlike the offense of breach of the peace, which originated under common law, disorderly conduct is strictly a statutory crime. It is commonly considered a broader term than breach of the peace and, under some statutes, breach of the peace is an element of disorderly conduct.
The elements of disorderly conduct vary from one jurisdiction to another. Most statutes specify the misconduct that constitutes the offense. Acts such as the use of vulgar and obscene language in a public place, vagrancy, loitering, causing a crowd to gather in a public place, or ...