Karatinos Law, PLLC

Need An Attorney Who Will Go To Battle For You? Call 352-405-0537 Today. Keeley’s Available 24/7.

Karatinos Law, PLLC
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352-405-0537

Aggressive Representation in Criminal Defense and Personal Injury Cases

Disorderly Conduct Defense Attorney In Florida

Karatinos Law, PLLC, is a Dade City criminal defense firm defending individuals charged with disorderly conduct across Pasco County. Attorney Keeley Karatinos commits to knowing more about your case than anyone else in the room. You know how quickly one moment becomes a criminal charge, and you deserve an attorney who fights just as fast.

What Is Disorderly Conduct In Florida?

Florida Statute 877.03 defines disorderly conduct as behavior that corrupts public morals, violates public decency or disturbs the peace of those who witness it. Florida law identifies specific behaviors as disorderly conduct. Common examples include:

  • Fighting or brawling in public
  • Unreasonably loud or disruptive behavior
  • Refusing to disperse when lawfully ordered
  • Behavior that disturbs a lawful assembly
  • Using language that provokes an immediate breach of peace

Florida law classifies it as a second-degree misdemeanor.

Penalties For Disorderly Conduct In Florida

A disorderly conduct conviction carries up to 60 days in jail and a fine of up to $500. Unlike public intoxication, disorderly conduct targets behavior, not a person’s condition. That distinction makes the line between protected expression and criminal conduct especially thin.

Disorderly conduct charges sometimes appear alongside DUI arrests. Officers add this charge for disruptive behavior at a traffic stop, and challenging both together is essential.

Defense Strategies For Disorderly Conduct Charges

A disorderly conduct charge is not a conviction. Karatinos Law, PLLC, pursues every viable defense, including:

  • First Amendment protection: Most speech, including offensive language, receives constitutional protection unless it constitutes fighting words or true threats
  • Vagueness challenge: “Outrage the sense of public decency” is unconstitutionally vague
  • No criminal intent: Many accidental disturbances lack the willful or intentional conduct required for conviction
  • Police overreach: Officers sometimes use this charge to justify an arrest when no actual crime occurred
  • Video evidence: Bodycam or surveillance footage frequently contradicts the officer’s written report
  • Not a public place: The charge typically requires a public location or conduct visible to the public

Attorney Karatinos brings a holistic lens to every case and treats each client as a person. She also speaks English, Spanish and Russian, conceding nothing and taking every strong case to trial.

One Charge Does Not Get To Write Your Story

You reached out because you are ready to fight, and that is exactly what Attorney Karatinos does. Karatinos Law, PLLC, offers free initial consultations and personal, catered attention from day one. Call us at 352-405-0537 or reach out online today.