Public Urination Laws and Penalties in Old Town Orange
Public urination is illegal in Old Towne Orange Circle and around Chapman University. You could be charged with a misdemeanor around Old Town Orange if you left the bar at night, needed a place to relieve yourself and got caught urinatating in the parking lot.
Old Towne Orange Circle Urination Cases are Misdemeanors
Misdemeanor means minor crime or offense. A misdemeanor is a lesser crime than felony. For example, a misdemeanor is a violation of state law while a felony is a violation of federal law. A misdemeanor can result in fines, imprisonment, community service, etc. In the case of student, it can hinder job prospects in the future and require an applicant to disclose that they are on probation or suffered a misdemeanor conviction.
Even if Urination in public is a misdemeanor criminal charge in Old Towne Orange Circle. You will not get the maximum penalty even if you pled guilty at court. It will most likely result in a civil infraction where you get a $350 fine and court costs, but the record will still show that it was a misdemeanor and you pled to the case. As a result, the Public urination charge can impact your your employment or college career and has the potential to violate the code of conduct at Chapman University.
Generally Public urination is not a big deal in Old Towne Orange Circle. However, there are some cities which struggle with patrons from the night urinating in public. Some of these cities include Fullerton and Hermosa Beach. As a result they have passed laws which made it a misdemeanor to relieve yourself in plain view.
The City of Orange city council have been getting complaints from the locals and the Orange Police Department have started enforcing the city code and treating these as a misdemeanor offense in Old Towne Orange Circle. Although it is still a petty offense it can still go on a person’s criminal record. As a result a first-time public urination offense can result in tarnishing a clean record.
Lewd/Indecent Behavior
In addition to conduct that is prohibited under the Student Policy on Sexual Harassment Prohibited by Title IX and/or the Student Policy on Sexual Harassment Prohibited by Senate Bill 493, the following behaviors are prohibited:
- Urinating or defecating in areas other than toilets and urinals (including lawns, lounges, elevators, stairwells, balconies, parking lots, etc.).
- Public nudity.
- Engaging in intimate sexual contact in or within plain sight of common or public areas.
- Public viewing or displaying of pornography.
Public Urination and the Necessity as a Defense
Public urination laws are usually irrelevant to people in Old Town Orange who are well into the night and do not have access to a restroom. Most people aren’t ever too far away from restrooms however it is the wait that kills. Especially in Old Town Orange where restaurant are doubling up at bars at night, there is a lack of facilities for patrons to use. This necessitates that the patrons relieve themselves outside. Even if they’re trying to use the restroom they would not be able to use it because the line is just too long.
Many Chapman University students who get caught urinating in Old Town Orange do not choose to go in public. Nobody walks goes out for the night thinking they will urinate in public. They are forced into it circumstances beyond their control. There are too many patrons and not enough facilities provided by the city and businesses hence they are forced to drop their pants
Breaking the law out of necessity is a common defense. A person who is left with no alternative by no fault of their own such as relieving themselves in public may get away with it if the judge or jury believes that the defendant was acting reasonably and in good faith.
Bottom Line
Chapman University Students and Patrons of Old Town Orange should be provided with adequate restroom facilities as paying patrons as they are providing valuable revenue for the business and cities. The right thing for the city to do is to start providing temporary facilities and work on restaurant to provide more facilities and not just use law enforcement to criminalize being a human being and give misdemeanors to students. They may choose to avoid getting a misdemeanor and just pee in their pants but they shouldn’t be forced to do so. There must be other options available to them. The dichotomy of this problem should be on the student or the police to clean up.
An offender who commits a crime should be punished because he did something wrong. But if you did it out of necessity and the evidence shows this it was a product of design by the city and area you are visiting , you shouldn’t be punished with a misdemeanor. There is nothing nothing bad about what you did. You should be punished because you did not want to soil yourself especially if the evidence shows you have some kind of medical condition.
Talk to a Lawyer about your Old Towne Orange Circle Misdemeanor
Contact a Criminal Defense Attorney
There are many ways to avoid getting a misdemeanor as a result of getting caught by the police peeing in public. You should make sure that you have representation and make sure your lawyer knows your lack of criminal history. Most people who get caught for this offense very seldom come back and do it again.
The Law Office of Hieu Vu is experienced in handling these types of cases. Our goal is to protect your rights and provide the best defense possible for your situation. If you have been charged with public urination, it might be a very easy situation to handle. However, it can become something bigger because you did not expect the what the long term consequences of an would entail.
