Rhode Island Domestic Disorderly Conduct Charges

Under Rhode Island Law, when the crime of disorderly conduct is directed at or committed in the presence of a family or household member it can be charged as a domestic disorderly conduct. Domestic disorderly conduct is a misdemeanor criminal offense and is punishable by a maximum penalty of six (6) months in prison. The offense of domestic disorderly conduct can be committed in a number of different was. The full Rhode Island Domestic Disorderly Conduct Law is provided below.

Oftentimes, people charged with domestic disorderly conduct fail to realize the serious nature of the crime that they have been charged with. In addition to a maximum penalty of six months in jail, a conviction for the offense of domestic disorderly conduct in Rhode Island triggers mandatory domestic violence penalties. These include: (1) a twenty week batters’ intervention program, (2) prohibitions on the possession, ownership, and transfer of firearms and ammunition, and (3) extended waiting periods for the expungement of the case from your criminal record.

Domestic disorderly conduct is a frequently charged criminal offense in Rhode Island. Many times, when the police cannot establish that any other crime has been committed they will, as a last resort, arrest and charge an individual with domestic disorderly conduct. As a Rhode Island Domestic Disorderly Conduct Lawyer, I have seen the Police and Prosecutors push forward with relatively minor incidents in which no one was even touched, let alone injured, that happened in the privacy of one’s home and for which no one involved wants to see the charges pressed. In these instances, you need the experience and skill of an aggressive Rhode Island Domestic Disorderly Conduct Attorney on your side working to resolve the charges in your favor. At the Marin, Barrett, and Murphy Law Firm, we have represented hundreds of individuals charged with crimes of domestic violence including dozens of Rhode Island domestic disorderly conduct charges. With the help of a skilled advocate, we can work to get the charges dismissed pre-trial or fight for your innocence and a not guilty verdict after trial.

Contact our Rhode Island Domestic Disorderly Conduct Lawyers 24 hours a day, 7 days a week by phone at 401-228-8271.

Rhode Island Domestic Disorderly Conduct Law

R.I. Gen. Laws § 11-45-1

§ 11-45-1. Disorderly conduct.

(a) A person commits disorderly conduct if he or she intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly:

(1) Engages in fighting or threatening, or in violent or tumultuous behavior;

(2) In a public place or near a private residence that he or she has no right to occupy, disturbs another person by making loud and unreasonable noise which under the circumstances would disturb a person of average sensibilities;

(3) Directs at another person in a public place offensive words which are likely to provoke a violent reaction on the part of the average person so addressed;

(4) Alone or with others, obstructs a highway, street, sidewalk, railway, waterway, building entrance, elevator, aisle, stairway, or hallway to which the public or a substantial group of the public has access or any other place ordinarily used for the passage of persons, vehicles, or conveyances;

(5) Engages in conduct which obstructs or interferes physically with a lawful meeting, procession, or gathering;

(6) Enters upon the property of another and for a lascivious purpose looks into an occupied dwelling or other building on the property through a window or other opening; or

(7) Who without the knowledge or consent of the individual, looks for a lascivious purpose through a window, or any other opening into an area in which another would have a reasonable expectation of privacy, including, but not limited to, a restroom, locker room, shower, changing room, dressing room, bedroom, or any other such private area, notwithstanding any property rights the individual may have in the location in which the private area is located.

(8) [Deleted by P.L. 2008, ch. 183, § 1].

(b) Any person, including a police officer, may be a complainant for the purposes of instituting action for any violation of this section.

(c) Any person found guilty of the crime of disorderly conduct shall be imprisoned for a term of not more than six (6) months, or fined not more than five hundred dollars ($500), or both.

(d) In no event shall subdivisions (a)(2) — (5) of this section be construed to prevent lawful picketing or lawful demonstrations including, but not limited to, those relating to a labor dispute.

Contact An Experienced Rhode Island Domestic Disorderly Conduct Attorney Today 

Attorneys Marin, Barrett, and Murphy – Phone 401-228-8271

Penalties for Rhode Island Domestic Disorderly Conduct Charges

Penalties for Domestic Disorderly Conduct Charges in Rhode Island

- Up to Six Months in Jail
- Up to One Thousand Dollar ($500) Fine
- Mandatory Batters Intervention Program (domestic violence counseling)
- Mandatory Increased Court Costs

Rhode Island Domestic Disorderly Conduct Charges - Areas We Serve

- Providence District Court - Barrington, Bristol, Burrillville, Central Falls, Cumberland, East Providence, Pawtucket, Providence, Woonsocket, Warren
- Kent County District Court - Coventry, Cranston, East Greenwich, Foster, Glocester, Johnston, Lincoln, North Kingstown, North Providence, North Smithfield, Scituate, Smithfield, Warwick, West Warwick
- Washington County District Court - Block Island (New Shoreham), Hopkinton, Narragansett, Richmond, South Kingstown, Westerly
- Newport District Court - Jamestown, Little Compton, Middletown, Newport, Portsmouth, Tiverton

Contact An Experienced Rhode Island Domestic Violence Defense Lawyer Today 

Attorney’s Marin, Barrett, and Murphy – Phone 401-228-8271