While it may seem trivial, a public urination ticket in some states is a crime.But there are many well-documented cases throughout the country where public urination can quickly turn into a sex crime in Los Angeles. One minute a person can be urinating in public, thinking they’ll face a minor misdemeanor and the next minute, a child sees what’s happening and the person faces a felony charge of indecent exposure or lewd conduct.
All of a sudden, a minor act, turns into a felony charge. And there are cases where a conviction of this type of crime leads to a person having to register as a sex offender, telling law enforcement where they live, having their name and photo put in the U.S. Department of Justice’s Sex Offender Registry. and other harsh penalties.
Sex crimes penalties are much tougher than misdemeanor charges. People face prison time, hefty fines and fees, possibly years of probation, electronic monitoring, restrictions on where they can live and other sanctions. Not to mention to stigma associated with being a registered sex offender.
So, while public urination should be treated as a misdemeanor, it can spiral out of control if a zealous police officer or prosecutor gets the case. This is all proof of why you need a criminal defense lawyer who has years of experience with these types of cases, who knows the law and the criminal justice system and will go the extra mile in your defense.
Defendants have a right to a fair trial and for the state to prove beyond reasonable doubt that the charges they have brought against a person are 100 percent accurate.If you have been charged with public urination, click on your city and contact our attorneys to help put our experience to work for you.