Nebraska Disorderly Conduct Laws

Created by FindLaw's team of legal writers and editors | Last reviewed June 20, 2016

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The Cornhusker State has a number of laws which prohibit disorderly conduct. Nebraska's disorderly conduct laws prohibit things like disturbing the peace, unlawful picketing, and mass picketing. In Nebraska, any person who intentionally disturbs the peace and quiet of any person, family, or neighborhood is acting unlawfully. For example, a neighbor who turns up his car speaker so loudly that it makes an excessive and unreasonable amount of noise is disturbing the peace.

It's also against the law to interfere with a person's right to work by threatening, assaulting, stalking, or picketing them in an effort to get them to quit or prevent them entering their place of employment. Picketing in a way that obstructs movement to or from a public place is also prohibited. For example, it is illegal for a person picketing a local business to block the entrance of the business so that customers and employees cannot enter or leave.

The penalties for the above crimes include imprisonment for up to 3 months and up to $500 in fines. This is quick summary of Nebraska's disorderly conduct laws.

Nebraska Disorderly Conduct Laws

The following table outlines Nebraska's disorderly conduct laws.

Code Sections NEB. REV. STAT. §§ 28-1317, 28-1318, 28-1322, and 28-1320.03
What’s Prohibited?

Disturbing the peace:

Intentionally disturbing the peace and quiet of any person, family, or neighborhood

Unlawful picketing:

Interfering or attempting to interfere with a person exercising their right to work by doing any of the following:

  • Using threatening language toward the person or their immediate family to induce or influence them to quit their job
  • Keeping the person from seeking or entering into employment
  • Following or intercepting the person against his or her will
  • Menacing, threatening, coercing, intimidating, or frightening the person in order to induce them to quit or keep them from seeking or entering employment
  • Committing assault
  • Picketing or patrolling any place the person might be or in the vicinity thereof against that person's will

Mass picketing:

Picketing or aiding in picketing which obstructs movement to and from the premises where the picketing is occurring, public roads, streets, or highways

Unlawful picketing of a funeral:

Engaging in picketing 1 hour prior and two hours after a funeral
Penalties

Disturbing the peace, unlawful picketing, mass picketing, and unlawful picketing of a funeral are Class 3 misdemeanors punishable by up to 3 months in prison and up to $500 in fines.

Nebraska Disorderly Conduct Laws: Related Resources

Disorderly conduct laws can be confusing. If you’ve been charged with disorderly conduct and would like help, you can contact a Nebraska criminal defense attorney. You can also visit FindLaw’s sections on Disorderly Conduct and Public Safety Violations for more articles and information on this topic.

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