[HISTORY: Adopted by the Borough Council of the Borough of
Slippery Rock 4-1-1980 by Ord. No. 315 (Ch. 6, Part 4, of the
1983 Code). Amendments noted where applicable.]
This chapter shall be known and may be cited as the "Disorderly
House Ordinance."
[Amended 12-7-1983 by Ord. No. 328]
As used in this chapter, unless the context indicates clearly
a different meaning, the following words and phrases shall have the
meanings as set forth below:
Any place within the Borough where persons gather or abide
and where the owner, lessee, or person in charge permits, encourages,
or tends to encourage drunkenness, illegal consumption, boisterous
conduct, unseemly noise, fighting or other conduct which disturbs
the public peace or decorum, or promotes disorder and lessens the
dignity of the community. Said definition shall apply whether the
place is public or private, a building or any lot or land in the Borough.
All such places within the Borough of Slippery Rock are hereby declared
a public nuisance.
Any person, not the keeper of a disorderly house, who lives
and abides in such disorderly house or is employed at or attends a
gathering in such a house, lot or other place, knowing that such house
is a disorderly house as defined herein.
Any person who is the owner, lessee, or person in charge
of any such house at the time when any of the acts defined above are
permitted or encouraged.
No person shall permit, keep, maintain, or be an inmate of a
disorderly house within the Borough. Violators are subject to the
penalties of this chapter upon conviction before a Magisterial District
Judge having jurisdiction.
It shall be the duty of the police officers of the Borough to
suppress and to close and keep closed any disorderly house and to
arrest all persons found therein. If the keeper or any other persons
within such disorderly house refuse to permit any officer of the Borough
to enter the same, the officer may enter the disorderly house or cause
the same to be entered by whatever force is necessary and arrest,
by issuance of citations or otherwise, all persons found therein.
[Amended 12-7-1983 by Ord. No. 328[1]]
Any person who violates or permits a violation of this chapter
shall, upon conviction in a summary proceeding under the Pennsylvania
Rules of Criminal Procedure, be guilty of a summary offense and shall
be punishable by a fine of not more than $1,000, plus court costs
and reasonable attorneys' fees incurred by the Borough in the enforcement
proceedings. Upon judgment against any person by summary conviction,
or by proceedings by summons on default of the payment of the fine
or penalty imposed and the costs, the defendant may be sentenced and
committed to the Borough correctional facility for a period not exceeding
10 days or to the county correctional facility for a period not exceeding
30 days. Each day that such violation exists shall constitute a separate
offense, and each section of this chapter that is violated shall also
constitute a separate offense. In addition to or in lieu of enforcement
under this section, the Borough may enforce this chapter in equity
in the Court of Common Pleas of Butler County.
