Disorderly Conduct Charge
Disorderly conduct is one of the most unfairly ambiguous charges a person could face. In my experience, clients are charged with disorderly conduct when the police can’t think of anything else to charge them with. It’s sort of a catchall charge. Because Gilbert’s downtown is growing with more and more bars and restaurants, we’re seeing an increase in disorderly conduct cases.
Gilbert Disorderly Conduct Arrest
Under Arizona law, disorderly conduct is any behavior that is considered disorderly. The law doesn’t provide a set of factors for someone to face the charge. For instance, to commit assault, the State of Arizona must prove a person intentionally or knowingly caused injury or put another in fear in imminent fear of harm. Disorderly conduct doesn’t have similar factors or elements. This means, if a Gilbert Police officer believes a person’s behavior is disorderly, then it’s disorderly. As you can see, this is completely subjective. Different people have different moral backgrounds and different outlooks on life. Officer Jones may be more liberal than Officer Rodriguez. Why should a person who has the unfortunate luck of dealing with Officer Rodriguez receive a disorderly conduct charge, when if they came into contact with Officer Jones, he may have just given them a warning?
Hire An Experienced Disorderly Conduct Attorney
There are two critical steps that must be taken with disorderly conduct cases. The first step is to immediately request the police report. I can’t tell you how many people choose to represent themselves and plead guilty to disorderly conduct without ever seeing the police report. This is crazy! If you decide not to hire a lawyer (you’re making a very big mistake if your case is out of Gilbert), at the very least, request your police report!
Once we have the police report, we schedule a meeting with a client to carefully go over what is consistent and inconsistent.
Revealing Inconsistencies With Arrest
If we are able to identify inaccuracies, we are able to make effective arguments to the judge and prosecutor as to why the entire case should be thrown out. I’m sorry, but let me make this point clear. If you do not have a lawyer, you have a very slim chance of getting your case dismissed. Our lawyers are at Gilbert Court several times per week. We know how to meet with the prosecutor and carefully explain our client’s side of the story. When we’re able to tell a story in a meaningful, non-emotional manner, prosecutors are inclined to see our version of events and dismiss the case. Call us anytime for free legal advice, 602-926-0673.
Author Bio
Matthew L. Lopez
Matthew L. Lopez is the Managing Attorney and founder of Matthew Lopez Law, a criminal defense and DUI firm serving clients throughout Arizona. His track record of case dismissals and charge reductions has earned him honors, including a National Trial Lawyers Top 40 Under 40 nomination, a “Superb” 10/10 Avvo rating, and a Rising Star designation by Super Lawyers.
Matthew is a member of the National College for DUI Defense and holds active memberships with the Arizona Association for Criminal Justice and the Arizona Association for Justice. His firm handles criminal defense, DUI, drug charges, and traffic offenses, offering free consultations and affordable payment plans to make quality defense accessible to all Arizonans.
