City of Billings, MO Article V Offenses Concerning Public Peace

Section 210.210 Peace Disturbance.

[Ord. No. 210.210, 11-21-2024]

A. A person commits the offense of peace disturbance if:

1. He/she unreasonably and knowingly disturbs or alarms another person or persons by:

a. Loud noise, specifically, but not limited to, between the hours of 11:00 P.M. and 6:00 A.M. that would offend any reasonable person under the circumstances;

b. Offensive language addressed in a face-to-face manner to a specific individual and uttered under circumstances which are likely to produce an immediate violent response from a reasonable recipient;

c. Threatening to commit a felonious act against any person under circumstances which are likely to cause a reasonable person to fear that such threat may be carried out;

d. Fighting; and

e. Creating a noxious and offensive odor.

2. He/she is in a public place or on private property of another without consent and purposely causes inconvenience to another person or persons by unreasonably and physically obstructing:

a. Vehicular or pedestrian traffic; or

b. The free ingress or egress to or from a public or private place.

Section 210.215 Private Peace Disturbance.

A. A person commits the offense of private peace disturbance if he/she is on private property and unreasonably and purposely causes alarm to another person or persons on the same premises by:

1. Threatening to commit a crime or offense against any person; or

2. Fighting.

Section 210.220 Peace Disturbance Definitions.

For the purposes of Sections 210.210 and 210.215, the following words shall have the meanings set out herein:

PRIVATE PROPERTY

Any place which at the time is not open to the public. It includes property which is owned publicly or privately.

PROPERTY OF ANOTHER

Any property in which the actor does not have a possessory interest.

PUBLIC PLACE

Any place which at the time is open to the public. It includes property which is owned publicly or privately.

If a building or structure is divided into separately occupied units, such units are separate premises.

Section 210.223 Funeral Protests Prohibited, When — Funeral Defined.

A. It shall be unlawful for any person to engage in picketing or other protest activities within three hundred (300) feet of or about any location at which a funeral is held within one (1) hour prior to the commencement of any funeral and until one (1) hour following the cessation of any funeral. Each day on which a violation occurs shall constitute a separate offense.

B. For the purposes of this Section, "funeral" means the ceremonies, processions and memorial services held in connection with the burial or cremation of the dead.

Section 210.225 Disorderly Conduct.

[Ord. No. 745 §§1 — 2, 10-1-1992]

A. Definitions. As used in this Section, the following terms shall have these prescribed meanings:

PUBLIC PLACE

Any place to which the general public has access and a right to resort for business, entertainment or other lawful purpose, but does not necessarily mean a place devoted solely to the uses of the public. It shall also include the front or immediate area of any store, shop, restaurant, tavern or other place of business; any public grounds, streets, area or parks; and any common areas of private developments or private housing areas.

RIOT

A public disturbance involving:

1. An act or acts of violence by one (1) or more persons part of an assemblage of three (3) or more persons, which act or acts shall constitute a clear and present danger of, or shall result in, damage or injury to the property of any other person or to the person of any other individual.

2. A threat or threats of the commission of an act or acts of violence by one (1) or more persons part of an assemblage of three (3) or more persons having, individually or collectively, the ability of immediate execution of such threat or threats, where the performance of the threatened act or acts of violence would constitute a clear and present danger of, or would result in, damage or injury to the property of any other person or to the person of any other individual.

3. INCITE A RIOT: Shall mean, but is not limited to, urging or instigating other persons to riot, but shall not be deemed to mean the mere oral or written:

a. Advocacy of ideas, or

b. Expression of belief, not involving advocacy of any act or acts of violence or assertion of the rightness of, or the right to commit, any such act or acts.

B. Conduct Prohibited. A person shall be guilty of disorderly conduct if, with the purpose of causing public danger, alarm, disorder, nuisance, or if his/her conduct is likely to cause public danger, alarm, disorder or nuisance, he/she willfully does any of the following acts in a public place:

1. Commits an act in a violent and tumultuous manner toward another whereby that other is placed in danger of his/her life, injury to his/her limb or health;

2. Commits an act in a violent and tumultuous manner toward another whereby the property of any person is placed in danger of being destroyed or damaged;

3. Causes, provokes or engages in any fight, brawl or riotous conduct so as to endanger the life, limb, health or property of another;

4. Interferes with another's pursuit of a lawful occupation by acts of violence;

5. Obstructs, either singularly or together with other persons, the flow of vehicular or pedestrian traffic and refuses to clear such public way when ordered to do so by the City Police or other lawful authority known to be such;

6. Resists or obstructs the performance of duties by City Police or any other authorized official of the City when known to be such an official;

7. Incites, attempts to incite, or is involved in attempting to incite a riot;

8. Damages, befouls or disturbs public property or the property of another so as to create a hazardous, unhealthy or physically offensive condition;

9. Makes or causes to be made any loud, boisterous and unreasonable noise or disturbance to the annoyance of any other persons nearby or near to any public highway, road, street, lane, alley, park, square or common, whereby the public peace is broken or disturbed or the traveling public annoyed;

10. Fails to obey a lawful order to disperse by a Police Officer when known to be such an official, where one (1) or more persons are committing acts or disorderly conduct in the immediate vicinity and the public health and safety is imminently threatened; and

11. Uses abusive or obscene language or makes an obscene gesture.

Section 210.230 Rioting. [1]

A person commits the offense of rioting if he/she knowingly assembles with six (6) or more other persons and agrees with such persons to violate any of the criminal laws of this State or of the United States with force or violence and thereafter, while still so assembled, does violate any of said laws with force or violence.

[1] Note — Under certain circumstances this offense can be a felony under state law.

Section 210.235 Refusal to Disperse.

A person commits the offense of refusal to disperse if, being present at the scene of an unlawful assembly or at the scene of a riot, he/she knowingly fails or refuses to obey the lawful command of a Law Enforcement Officer to depart from the scene of such unlawful assembly or riot.

Section 210.237 Disturbing Lawful Assembly. [1]

[CC 1975 §13-5]

It shall be unlawful for any person within the corporate limits of the City to willfully, purposely or heedlessly in any manner disturb or interrupt the peace of any assembly of persons congregated for lawful purposes.

[1] State Law Reference — Similar provisions, §562.250, RSMo.