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(a) No person, with purpose to prevent or disrupt a lawful meeting, procession, or gathering, shall do either of the following:
(1) Do any act which obstructs or interferes with the due conduct of the meeting, procession, or gathering.
(2) Make any utterance, gesture, or display which outrages the sensibilities of the group.
(b) Whoever violates this section is guilty of disturbing a lawful meeting. Except as otherwise provided in this division, disturbing a lawful meeting is a misdemeanor of the fourth degree. Disturbing a lawful meeting is a misdemeanor of the first degree if either of the following applies:
(1) The violation is committed with the intent to disturb or disquiet any assemblage of people met for religious worship at a tax-exempt place of worship, regardless of whether the conduct is within the place at which the assemblage is held or is on the property on which that place is located and disturbs the order and solemnity of the assemblage.
(2) The violation is committed with the intent to prevent, disrupt, or interfere with a virtual meeting or gathering of people for religious worship, through use of a computer, computer system, telecommunications device, or other electronic device or system, or in any other manner.
(c) As used in this section:
(1) “Computer.” Has the same meaning as in R.C. § 2913.01.
(2) “Computer system.” Has the same meaning as in R.C. § 2913.01.
(3) “Telecommunications device.” Has the same meaning as in R.C. § 2913.01.
(4) “Virtual meeting or gathering.” A meeting or gathering by interactive video conference or teleconference, or by a combination thereof.
(R.C. § 2917.12)
(a) No person shall knowingly do any of the following:
(1) Hamper the lawful operations of any law enforcement officer, firefighter, rescuer, medical person, emergency medical services person, or other authorized person engaged in the person’s duties at the scene of a fire, accident, disaster, riot, or emergency of any kind;
(2) Hamper the lawful activities of any emergency facility person who is engaged in the person’s duties in an emergency facility;
(3) Fail to obey the lawful order of any law enforcement officer engaged in the law enforcement officer’s duties at the scene of or in connection with a fire, accident, disaster, riot, or emergency of any kind.
(b) Nothing in this section shall be construed to limit access or deny information to any news media representative in the lawful exercise of the news media representative’s duties.
(c) Whoever violates this section is guilty of misconduct at an emergency. Except as otherwise provided in this division, misconduct at an emergency is a misdemeanor of the fourth degree. If violation of this section creates a risk of physical harm to persons or property, misconduct at an emergency is a misdemeanor of the first degree.
(d) As used in this section:
(1) “Emergency facility” has the same meaning as in Ohio R.C. 2909.04.
(2) “Emergency facility person” is the singular of “emergency facility personnel” as defined in Ohio R.C. 2909.04.
(3) “Emergency medical services person” is the singular of “emergency medical services personnel” as defined in Ohio R.C. 2133.21.
(ORC 2917.13)
(a) No person shall cause the evacuation of any public place, or otherwise cause serious public inconvenience or alarm, by doing any of the following:
(1) Initiating or circulating a report or warning of an alleged or impending fire, explosion, crime, or other catastrophe, knowing that the report or warning is false.
(2) Threatening to commit any offense of violence.
(3) Committing any offense, with reckless disregard of the likelihood that its commission will cause serious public inconvenience or alarm.
(b) Division (a)(1) of this section does not apply to any person conducting an authorized fire or emergency drill.
(c) (1) Whoever violates this section is guilty of inducing panic.
(2) Except as otherwise provided in division (c)(3), inducing panic is a misdemeanor of the first degree.
(3) If a violation of this section results in physical harm to any person, inducing panic is a felony to be prosecuted under appropriate State law. If a violation of this section results in economic harm of one thousand dollars ($1,000) or more, inducing panic is a felony to be prosecuted under appropriate State law. If the public place involved in a violation of division (a)(1) is a school or an institution of higher education, inducing panic is a felony to be prosecuted under appropriate State law. If a violation of this section pertains to a purported, threatened or actual use of a weapon of mass destruction, inducing panic is a felony to be prosecuted under appropriate State law.
(d) (1) It is not a defense to a charge under this section that pertains to a purported or threatened use of a weapon of mass destruction that the offender did not possess or have the ability to use a weapon of mass destruction or that what was represented to be a weapon of mass destruction was not a weapon of mass destruction.
(2) Any act that is a violation of this section and any other section of the Ohio Revised Code or these Codified Ordinances may be prosecuted under this section, the other section, or both sections.
(e) As used in this section:
(1) “Biological agent” has the same meaning as in Ohio R.C. 2917.33.
(2) “Economic harm” means any of the following:
A. All direct, incidental and consequential pecuniary harm suffered by a victim as a result of the criminal conduct. “Economic harm” as described in this division includes but is not limited to all of the following:
1. All wages, salaries or other compensation lost as a result of the criminal conduct;
2. The cost of all wages, salaries or other compensation paid to employees for time those employees are prevented from working as a result of the criminal conduct;
3. The overhead costs incurred from the time that a business is shut down as a result of the criminal conduct;
4. The loss of value to tangible or intangible property that was damaged as a result of the criminal conduct.
B. All costs incurred by the State or any political subdivision as a result of, or in making any response to, the criminal conduct that constituted the violation of this section or Ohio R.C. 2917.32, or any substantially similar municipal ordinance, including but not limited to all costs so incurred by any law enforcement officers, firefighters, rescue personnel, or emergency medical services personnel of the State or the political subdivision.
(3) “Emergency medical services personnel” has the same meaning as in Ohio R.C. 2133.21.
(4) “Institution of higher education” means any of the following:
A. A State university or college as defined in Ohio R.C. 3345.12(A)(1), community college, State community college, university branch, or technical college;
B. A private, nonprofit college, university or other post-secondary institution located in this state that possesses a certificate of authorization issued by the Chancellor of Higher Education pursuant to R.C. Chapter 1713;
C. A post-secondary institution with a certificate of registration issued by the State Board of Career Colleges and Schools pursuant to Ohio R.C. Chapter 3332.
(5) “School.” Any school operated by a board of education or any school for which the Director of Education and Workforce prescribes minimum standards under R.C. § 3301.07, whether or not any instruction, extracurricular activities or training provided by the school is being conducted at the time a violation of this section is committed.
(6) “Weapon of mass destruction” means any of the following:
A. Any weapon that is designed or intended to cause death or serious physical harm through the release, dissemination, or impact of toxic or poisonous chemicals, or other precursors;
B. Any weapon involving a disease organism or biological agent;
C. Any weapon that is designed to release radiation or radioactivity at a level dangerous to human life;
D. Any of the following, except to the extent that the item or device in question is expressly excepted from the definition of “destructive device” pursuant to 18 U.S.C. 921(a)(4) and regulations issued under that section:
1. Any explosive, incendiary, or poison gas bomb, grenade, rocket having a propellant charge of more than four ounces, missile having an explosive or incendiary charge of more than one-quarter ounce, mine, or similar device;
2. Any combination of parts either designed or intended for use in converting any item or device into any item or device described in division D.1. of this definition and from which an item or device described in that division may be readily assembled.
(ORC 2917.31)
(a) No person shall do any of the following:
(1) Initiate or circulate a report or warning of an alleged or impending fire, explosion, crime, or other catastrophe, knowing that the report or warning is false and likely to cause public inconvenience or alarm.
(2) Knowingly cause a false alarm of fire or other emergency to be transmitted to or within any organization, public or private, for dealing with emergencies involving a risk of physical harm to persons or property.
(3) Report to any law enforcement agency an alleged offense or other incident within its concern, knowing that the offense did not occur;
(4) Initiate or circulate a report or warning of an alleged or impending fire, explosion, crime, or other catastrophe, knowing that the report or warning is false and likely to impede the operation of a critical infrastructure facility.
(b) This section does not apply to any person conducting an authorized fire or emergency drill.
(c) Whoever violates this section is guilty of making false alarms. Except as otherwise provided in this division, making false alarms is a misdemeanor of the first degree. If a violation of this section results in economic harm of one thousand dollars ($1,000) or more, making false alarms is a felony to be prosecuted under appropriate State law. If a violation of this section pertains to a purported, threatened, or actual use of a weapon of mass destruction, making false alarms is a felony to be prosecuted under appropriate State law.
(d) (1) It is not a defense to a charge under this section that pertains to a purported or threatened use of a weapon of mass destruction that the offender did not possess or have the ability to use a weapon of mass destruction or that what was represented to be a weapon of mass destruction was not a weapon of mass destruction.
(2) Any act that is a violation of this section and any other section of the Ohio Revised Code or these Codified Ordinances may be prosecuted under this section, the other section, or both sections.
(e) As used in this section:
(1) “Critical infrastructure facility.” Has the same meaning as in R.C. § 2911.21.
(2) “Economic harm” and “weapon of mass destruction.” Have the same meaning as in R.C. § 2917.31.
(R.C. § 2917.32)
(a) No person shall loiter or prowl in any public or private place at a time, in a manner or under circumstances which warrant alarm for the safety of persons or security of property in the surrounding area.
(b) Without limitation, the following circumstances may be considered in determining whether such alarm is warranted:
(1) The flight of a person upon the appearance of a police officer;
(2) Attempted concealment by a person upon the appearance of a police officer; or
(3) The checking by a person of doors, windows or other means of access to buildings, houses or vehicles.
(c) Unless flight by the actor or other circumstances make it impracticable, a police officer shall, prior to any arrest for an offense under this section, afford the actor an opportunity to dispel any alarm which would otherwise be warranted, by requesting him or her to identify himself or herself and explain his or her presence and conduct. No person shall be convicted of an offense under this section if the police officer did not comply with the preceding sentence or if it appears at trial that the explanation given by the actor was true and if believed by the police officer at the time would have dispelled the alarm.
(d) For the purposes of this section:
(1) "Loitering" includes the following activities: lingering, hanging around, delaying, sauntering and moving slowly about, where such conduct is not due to physical defects or conditions.
(2) "Private place" means and includes places privately owned but open to the public generally, such as shopping centers, retail stores, transportation terminals, movie theaters, office buildings, restaurants and all distinctly private places such as homes or private residences and apartment houses.
(3) "Public place" means and includes public streets and alleyways, public restrooms, public sidewalks, public parks, public buildings and Municipal airports.
(4) "Surrounding area" means that area easily and immediately accessible to the person under observation.
(e) Whoever violates this section is guilty of loitering, a minor misdemeanor, and shall be subject to the penalty provided in Section 698.02.
(Ord. 304-66. Passed 12-14-66.)
(a) No person shall unreasonably make or continue, or cause to be made or continued, or permit any noise disturbance.
(b) As used in this section "noise" means any sound which annoys or disturbs persons or which causes or tends to cause an adverse psychological or physiological effect on persons. "Noise disturbance" means any sounds which:
(1) Endangers or injures the safety or health of persons or animals;
(2) Annoys or disturbs a reasonable person of normal sensibilities, or;
(3) Endangers or injures personal or real property:
(c) The following acts, and the causing or permitting thereof, are hereby declared to be violations of this section, but such enumeration is not deemed to be exclusive:
(1) Radios, television sets, musical instruments and similar devices.
A. No person shall play any radio, music player such as a boom box, tape cassette, disc player, television, audio system, musical instrument or any other type of sound device upon any public road, street, highway, or private property within the City in a manner or at a volume as to disturb the peace, quiet, comfort or repose of other persons. An exception is made for organized events which have received a valid permit from the City, or any organized function of the City schools.
B. No person shall play any radio, music player such as a boom box, tape cassette, disc player, television, audio system, musical instrument or any other type of sound device in a manner or at such a volume as to disturb the peace, quiet, comfort or repose of neighboring inhabitants at a volume which is plainly audible to persons other than those who are in the room in which such device or instrument is played, and who are voluntary listeners thereto, or where such noise can be distinctly heard at a distance of more than fifty feet from its source, or otherwise create a noise disturbance across a residential real property boundary. "Real property boundary" means an imaginary line along the ground surface, and its vertical extension, which separates the real property owned by one person from that owned by another person.
C. No person shall play any radio, music player or audio system in a motor vehicle at such volume as to disturb the peace, quiet, comfort or repose of other persons or at a volume, which is plainly audible to persons other than the occupants of the vehicle;
(2) Animals and birds. Keeping any bird or animal which, by causing frequent or long continued noise, disturbs the comfort and repose of any person in the vicinity, where such noise can be distinctly heard at a distance of more than fifty feet from its source; excluding any type of animals which are for agricultural purposes, or are part of livestock;
(3) Signal devices. Sounding of any horn, bell, chime or other signal or warning device from or on any property, residence, motor vehicle, motorcycle, bus or other vehicle in such a manner as to create a noise disturbance, except as a danger or warning signal, church bells and/or chimes and the signaling devices on agricultural property used to prevent the destruction of crops by pests or animals;
(4) Vehicles. Using or operating any motorcycle or other vehicle so out of repair, so loaded or in such a manner as to create a loud or unnecessary grating, grinding, rattling or other noise so as to cause a noise disturbance;
(5) Vehicle or motorboat repair testing. Repairing, rebuilding, modifying or testing of any motor vehicle, motorcycle, motorized vehicle or motorboat in such a manner as to cause a noise disturbance across a residential real property boundary;
(6) Loading and unloading. Loading, unloading, opening, closing or other handling of boxes, crates, containers, building materials, garbage cans or similar objects between the hours of 9:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m., or after 7:00 p.m. and before 9:00 a.m. on Sundays and holidays in such a manner as to cause a noise disturbance across a residential real property boundary;
(7) Heavy vehicles, racing engines. Operating or permitting the operation of any motor vehicle with a gross weight rating in excess of 10,000 pounds, or any auxiliary equipment attached to such vehicle, for longer than five minutes in any hour while the vehicle is stationary, for- reasons other than traffic congestion, except while loading and unloading perishables, where such noise creates a noise disturbance across a residential real property boundary; or racing the motor of any vehicle unnecessarily or operating any motor vehicle, except in an emergency, in such a manner that the vehicle is so rapidly accelerated or started from the stopped position that the exhaust system emits a loud cracking or chattering noise unusual to its normal operation, or whereby the tires of such vehicle squeal or leave tire marks on the pavement or other surface, commonly known as "peeling";
(8) Construction. Operating or permitting the operation of any tools other than domestic power tools or equipment used in construction, drilling or demolition work, between 9:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. or between 7:00 p.m. and 9:00 a.m. on Sundays and holidays, except for emergency work, public service utilities or by special permission of the Safety Director;
(9) Domestic power tools. Operating or permitting the operation of any mechanically-powered saw, drill, sander, grinder, lawn or garden tool, lawnmower or similar device used outdoors, other than powered snow removal equipment in residential areas between 9:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. or between 7:00 p.m. and 9:00 a.m. on Sundays and holidays;
(10) Vibration. Operating or permitting the operation of any device that creates vibration which is above the vibration perception threshold of an individual at or beyond the property boundary of the source. For the purpose of this section, "vibration perception threshold" means the minimum ground or structure-born vibrational motion necessary to cause a normal person to be aware of the vibration by direct means, such as but not limited to sensation by touch or visual observation of moving objects.
(d) This section shall not apply to the emission of sound for the purpose of alerting persons to the existence of an emergency, or to the emission of sound in the performance of emergency work. Noncommercial public speaking and public assembly activities conducted on any public space or public right-of-way are also exempt from this section.
(e) Whoever willfully or knowingly violates any of the provisions of this section, for which no penalty is otherwise provided, is guilty of a minor misdemeanor. Whoever willfully or knowingly persists in violating any of the provisions of this section, for which no penalty is otherwise provided, is guilty of a misdemeanor of the fourth degree and shall be subject to the penalty provided in Section 698.02. A separate offense shall be deemed committed each day, or part thereof, during or on which a violation occurs or continues.
(1) In addition to any other method of enforcement provided for this chapter, division (c)(1) A. and B. and (c)(4) through (10) of this section may be enforced by the issuance of a citation in compliance with Rule 4.1 of the Ohio Rules of Criminal Procedure, and division (c)(1)C. of this section may be enforced by the issuance of an Ohio Uniform Traffic Ticket in compliance with the Ohio Traffic Rules promulgated by the Ohio Supreme Court pursuant to Ohio R. C. 2935.17 and 2937.46.
(2) Whoever violates division (c)(1) A., B. or C. of this section within thirty- six hours of having been warned by a police officer to desist from violating one of those sections is guilty of a misdemeanor of the third degree and shall be subject to the penalty provided in Section 698.02.
(3) Each day upon which a violation occurs or continues shall be a separate offense and punishable as such hereunder.
(Ord. 78-01, passed 5-14-01)
(a) No person shall knowingly engage in conduct designed to urge or incite another to commit any offense of violence when either of the following apply:
(1) The conduct takes place under circumstances that create a clear and present danger that any offense of violence will be committed.
(2) The conduct proximately results in the commission of any offense of violence.
(b) Whoever violates this section is guilty of inciting to violence. If the offense of violence that the other person is being urged or incited to commit is a misdemeanor, inciting to violence is a misdemeanor of the first degree. If the offense of violence that the other person is being urged or incited to commit is a felony, inciting to violence is a felony to be prosecuted under appropriate State law.
(ORC 2917.01)
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