Rahway, a busy city easily reached by Routes 1 & 9, the Garden State Parkway, and New Jersey Turnpike, is often the site of arrests and charges for disorderly conduct under N.J.S.A. 2C:33-2. Whether you were traveling through for work, visiting a friend, or shopping along St. George’s Ave., you will be required to attend Rahway Municipal Court once charged with this offense. A charge for disorderly conduct is not as harmless as one might think, as it carries penalties that are disruptive to the life of the accused and their respective family members. In fact, this petty disorderly persons offense carries possible time in jail, financial penalties, and even a probationary term. You are also strapped with a criminal record if convicted of disorderly conduct in Rahway or anywhere else in New Jersey.
Skilled Rahway Disorderly Conduct Defense Lawyers can Fight for You
When you don’t want to risk an unfavorable outcome and everything that comes with it, place your trust in decades of combined criminal defense experience. Our defense team is fully equipped to handle your charges, as we have done so for scores of clients throughout our careers practicing criminal law. You can simply call (908) 838-0150 if you would like a complimentary consultation with a lawyer about a Rahway disorderly conduct charge and the available options to resolve it. An attorney at our local firm is standing by to assist you.
Disorderly Conduct Charges are Filed Regularly in the City of Rahway
How many times have you gotten into a verbal argument with someone you know? Did you raise your voice, curse, scream, or yell? It is difficult to think of anyone you know who has not lost their temper at one point or another and done any of these things. Despite the prevalence of rowdy or aggressive behavior and language in our everyday lives, if you commit any of these acts in a public setting, you could be charged with disorderly conduct. Such innocent behavior becomes a criminal offense when the conduct occurs in a public place and another person is disturbed or could reasonably be upset by the acts alleged. According to the disorderly conduct statute N.J.S.A. 2C:33-2, any of the following provides grounds for a charge:
- Committing an act of improper behavior by displaying behavior that is annoying, inconvenient, or alarming. The alleged behavior includes fighting, threatening, or violence or creating a dangerous condition without any real purpose. Examples of such behavior include such conduct as walking on train tracks, yelling, throwing objects, obstructing traffic, making threats, or even public urination;
- Using offensive language while in public. For this offense, the state must prove that you offended the “sensibilities” of any person by using loud or course language.
Rahway Disorderly Conduct Offenses Must Occur in Public
It sounds ridiculous but it is true that you or anyone you know can be seriously impacted by such simple, harmless conduct, if it is proven that the offense occurred in public. Public places include anywhere that the public has a right to be or that which is open to the public. For example, if you are taking the train along the Northeast Corridor from Newark, Manhattan, Trenton, or the Jersey Shore and hop off at Rahway Station on Milton Ave. and get into an altercation on the platform, you can be charged with disorderly conduct. This is because the train and the platform are open to the public, thereby making the location a public place under the statute. Similarly, if you curse loudly during a verbal dispute at Rahway High School, Rahway River Park along St. Georges Ave, Grover Cleveland Elementary School, City Hall Plaza, or even on the side of the road during a traffic stop, you can face charges for 2c:33-2 and required to defend yourself in court.
What Happens if You are Convicted of Disorderly Conduct in Rahway NJ
If charged with just disorderly conduct, or this crime and another disorderly or petty disorderly persons offense, or 2C:33-2 plus a traffic violation like DWI, your case will be heard in Rahway Municipal Court located at 1 City Hall Plaza. Before you can be convicted, the prosecutor in Rahway must prove beyond a reasonable doubt that you committed one or more acts of disorderly conduct. No one can be found guilty of any offense in New Jersey without being proven guilty. This holds true for petty disorderly persons offenses of disorderly conduct and other misdemeanors handled at the Municipal Court level, just as it does for indictable crimes in Superior Court. Nevertheless, a finding of guilt by the Rahway Municipal Court Judge allows him to send you to jail for 30 days, force you to pay a $500 fine, impose probation, and order court costs and fees. This conviction will also be reflected on your criminal record.
Getting Defense Help with Your Rahway Disorderly Conduct Case Just Takes a Call
Overall, there are many ways that your disorderly conduct case can be finalized to best serve your interests. Many times, the witnesses who were allegedly offended by your conduct are complete strangers unlikely to attend court and testify against you. When this happens, our attorneys can file a motion for dismissal or seek an alternative like a carry order to reach a dismissal of the charges against you. Sometimes, an alternative plea involves a violation of a town ordinance in lieu of a criminal conviction, basically keeping your record free from convictions for crimes. When you are among the many charged with petty disorderly persons offenses like this, the thing to do is to be prepared and to have a local criminal lawyer who defends disorderly conduct charges in Rahway to advocate for you. Call (908) 838-0150 to talk to a lawyer at our criminal defense firm free of costs now.
