Created by FindLaw's team of legal writers and editors | Last reviewed June 20, 2016
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Every state has laws that criminalize behavior that disturbs the peace or causes public disturbances. Many states, such as West Virginia, have disorderly conduct laws that prohibit varies types of disruptive conduct, such as fighting in public or making excessive noise. The table below outlines West Virginia's disorderly conduct law.
Code Section |
West Virginia Code section 61-6-1b: Disorderly Conduct |
What's Prohibited?
|
Disturbing the peace of others by:
And persisting in such conduct after a law enforcement officer requests the offender to desist. |
Where is this Conduct Prohibited? |
Disorderly conduct is prohibited in:
|
Penalties
|
Misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for 24 hours or a fine of up to $400. |
Caveat |
Nothing in this law should be construed as deterrence to the lawful and orderly public right to demonstrate in support or protect of public policy issues. |
In West Virginia there are several other crimes that are closely related to disorderly conduct. For example, disturbing religious worship, disturbing schools or other societies, and willfully disrupting the governmental process are all crimes in West Virginia.
Disturbance of Religious Worship: It is a crime to willfully interrupt, molest, or disturb any assembly of people who are gathered to worship God.
Disturbance of Schools, Societies, and Other Assemblies: It is illegal to willfully interrupt, molest, or disturb any lawful school or meeting for:
Willful Disruption of Governmental Process: It is a crime to willfully interrupt or molest the orderly and peaceful process of any department, division, agency, or branch of state government.
State laws change frequently. For case specific information about West Virginia's disorderly conduct laws contact a local criminal defense lawyer.
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