The Morristown St. Patrick’s Day parade is being held this Saturday, March 12, 2011. The town expects 50,000 people in attendance. For information on the parade, see the official Morristown St. Patrick’s Day Parade website.

I have literally had ten phone calls from potential clients who attended Hoboken St. Patrick’s Day Parade last Saturday March 5, 2011. These defendants were charged with a wide range of offenses including disorderly conduct, urinating in public, open container of alcohol, simple assault (bar fights), and resisting arrest. These offenses can have a lasting impact on your future and it is important to hire an experienced criminal defense attorney if you are facing these types of charges.

Disorderly Conduct is governed by N.J.S. 2C:33-2 which provides in pertinent part:

N.J.S.A. 2C:33-2 – DISORDERLY CONDUCT

a. Improper behavior. A person is guilty of a petty disorderly persons offense, if with purpose to cause public inconvenience, annoyance or alarm, or recklessly creating a risk thereof he

(1) Engages in fighting or threatening, or in violent or tumultuous behavior; or

(2) Creates a hazardous or physically dangerous condition by any act which serves no legitimate purpose of the actor.

b. Offensive language. A person is guilty of a petty disorderly persons offense if, in a public place, and with purpose to offend the sensibilities of a hearer or in reckless disregard of the probability of so doing, he addresses unreasonably loud and offensively coarse or abusive language, given the circumstances of the person present and the setting of the utterance, to any person present.

As the above statute details, disorderly conduct is a petty disorderly persons offense in New Jersey which includes up to 30 days in the county jail if convicted and a permanent criminal charge on your record (which can be expunged in certain circumstances after five (5) years depending on any other criminal history). These charges can often be downgraded to a violation of a municipal ordinance which results in a fine and no criminal record.

For additional information and immediate assistance, contact my Morristown office at (973)971-0030. The initial consultation is always provided free of charge.