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545.02 FAILURE TO DISPERSE.
   (a)   Where five or more persons are participating in a course of disorderly conduct in violation of Ohio R.C. 2917.11 or a substantially equivalent municipal ordinance, and there are other persons in the vicinity whose presence creates the likelihood of physical harm to persons or property or of serious public inconvenience, annoyance, or alarm, a law enforcement officer or other public official may order the participants and the other persons to disperse. No person shall knowingly fail to obey the order.
   (b)   Nothing in this section requires persons to disperse who are peaceably assembled for a lawful purpose.
   (c)   (1)   Whoever violates this section is guilty of failure to disperse.
      (2)   Except as otherwise provided in division (c)(3) of this section, failure to disperse is a minor misdemeanor.
      (3)   Failure to disperse is a misdemeanor of the fourth degree if the failure to obey the order described in division (a) of this section creates the likelihood of physical harm to persons or is committed at the scene of a fire, accident, disaster, riot, or emergency of any kind.
(ORC 2917.04)
545.03 JUSTIFIABLE USE OF FORCE TO SUPPRESS RIOT.
   A law enforcement officer or firefighter engaged in suppressing a riot or in protecting persons or property during a riot:
   (a)   Is justified in using force, other than deadly force, when and to the extent he or she has probable cause to believe such force is necessary to disperse or apprehend rioters;
   (b)   Is justified in using force, including deadly force, when and to the extent he or she has probable cause to believe such force is necessary to disperse or apprehend rioters whose conduct is creating a substantial risk of serious physical harm to persons.
(ORC 2917.05)
545.04 DISORDERLY CONDUCT.
   (a)   No person shall recklessly cause inconvenience, annoyance, or alarm to another, by doing any of the following:
      (1)   Engaging in fighting, in threatening harm to persons or property, or in violent or turbulent behavior;
      (2)   Making unreasonable noise or an offensively coarse utterance, gesture, or display, or communicating unwarranted and grossly abusive language to any person;
      (3)   Insulting, taunting, or challenging another, under circumstances in which that conduct is likely to provoke a violent response;
      (4)   Hindering or preventing the movement of persons on a public street, road, highway, or right-of-way, or to, from, within, or upon public or private property, so as to interfere with the rights of others, and by any act that serves no lawful and reasonable purpose of the offender;
      (5)   Creating a condition that is physically offensive to persons or that presents a risk of physical harm to persons or property, by any act that serves no lawful and reasonable purpose of the offender.
   (b)   No person while voluntarily intoxicated shall do either of the following:
      (1)   In a public place or in the presence of two or more persons, engage in conduct likely to be offensive or to cause inconvenience, annoyance, or alarm to persons of ordinary sensibilities, which conduct the offender, if he or she were not intoxicated, should know is likely to have such effect on others;
      (2)   Engage in conduct or create a condition that presents a risk of physical harm to himself, herself or another, or to the property of another.
   (c)   Violation of any statute or ordinance of which an element is operating a motor vehicle, locomotive, watercraft, aircraft, or other vehicle while under the influence of alcohol or any drug of abuse is not a violation of division (b) of this section.
   (d)   If a person appears to an ordinary observer to be intoxicated, it is probable cause to believe that the person is voluntarily intoxicated for purposes of division (b) of this section.
   (e)   Whoever violates this section is guilty of disorderly conduct.
      (1)   Except as otherwise provided in divisions (e)(2) and (e)(3) of this section, disorderly conduct is a misdemeanor of the fourth degree.
      (2)   Disorderly conduct is a misdemeanor of the third degree if any of the following applies:
         A.   The offense is committed in the vicinity of a school or in a school safety zone.
         B.   The offense is committed in the presence of any law enforcement officer, firefighter, rescuer, medical person, emergency medical services person, or other authorized person who is engaged in the person’s duties at the scene of a fire, accident, disaster, riot, or emergency of any kind.
         C.   The offense is committed in the presence of any emergency facility person who is engaged in the person’s duties in an emergency facility.
      (3)   Disorderly conduct is a misdemeanor of the first degree if the offender persists in disorderly conduct after reasonable warning or request to desist.
   (f)   As used in this section:
      (1)   “Committed in the vicinity of a school” has the same meaning as in Ohio R.C. 2925.01.
      (2)   “Emergency facility” has the same meaning as in Ohio R.C. 2909.04.
      (3)   “Emergency facility person” is the singular of “emergency facility personnel” as defined in Ohio R.C. 2909.04.
      (4)   “Emergency medical services person” is the singular of “emergency medical services personnel” as defined in Ohio R.C. 2133.21.
(ORC 2917.11; Adopting Ordinance; Ord. 181-1998. Passed 9-8-98; Ord. 77-2004. Passed 4-19-04; Ord. 135-2016. Passed 11-21-16.)
545.05 DISTURBING A LAWFUL MEETING.
   (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, a misdemeanor of the fourth degree.
(ORC 2917.12)
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