Prince George’s County Failure to Obey Lawful Order Lawyer
In Prince George’s County, police may charge someone with failure to obey a lawful order in a situation where the charge is not warranted. Failure to obey a lawful order is a criminal offense, so the charge needs to be taken seriously even if the circumstances giving rise to the allegation seem bogus. It is advisable to consult a Prince George’s County failure to obey lawful order lawyer who could explain the ramifications and options for defense if you are facing failure to obey charges. An experienced criminal defense lawyer could help protect your rights and help you move toward a positive outcome.
What the Statute Says Specifically
Failure to obey is the term used in PG County to refer to Md. Code Ann., Crim. Law §10-201(c)(3). What this statutory section actually prohibits is deliberately failing to observe “a reasonable and lawful order that a law enforcement officer makes to prevent a disturbance to the public peace.”
There are several elements in this definition, and the prosecution must satisfy each element in order to obtain a conviction for failure to obey a lawful order. To begin with, the order from the police must have been reasonable and it must have been lawful.
Second, the person accused must have willfully refused to obey. If someone fails to obey because they did not hear the order or because circumstances prevented them from obeying, then it could be argued that the individual should not be found guilty of the offense.
Finally, the police must have made the order to prevent a disturbance to the public peace. The statute defines public places, but not the public peace, so there may be room for interpretation regarding this requirement. Someone accused may be able to successfully argue that there was no danger to the public peace or that the order was given for a reason other than to prevent such as disturbance. For more information, reach out to a knowledgeable defense attorney.
Penalties for Failure to Obey a Lawful Order
Failure to obey a lawful order is a misdemeanor criminal offense. If found guilty of this crime, an individual may be imprisoned for up to two months. In addition to incarceration or in lieu of it, the convicted individual may be fined up to $500.
Beyond the potential for jail time and a fine, a conviction creates a criminal record. Because criminal offenses are visible to anyone conducting even a casual background search, a criminal record could pose problems at work, when looking for housing, or even in personal relationships. Someone accused of a failure to follow a court order should speak with a dedicated PG County failure to obey lawful order lawyer immediately.
Get Help from a Prince George’s County Failure to Obey Attorney
Failure to obey is often linked with other offenses under the general heading of disorderly conduct. Other actions prohibited by the disorderly conduct statute include acting in a disorderly manner that disturbs the public peace and making an unreasonably loud public noise that disturbs the public peace.
A criminal defense lawyer with experience defending against disorderly conduct charges could explain your situation and evaluate your options for fighting the charges.
When you work with a Prince George’s County failure to obey lawful order lawyer, you can feel confident that you are taking an important step to protect your rights and your future. To learn more about how a failure to obey lawyer could assist with respect to the circumstances of your case, call now for a consultation.