When planning a prank, it’s always best not to make the police the receiving end of the joke. They don’t tend to think it’s funny. One gentleman found this out the hard way when he thought it would be funny to place a dead rattlesnake on a police memorial. A surveillance video showed the man putting the snake on a statue honoring officers who had been killed in the line of duty. The man claimed it was just meant to be a joke, but the police didn’t find it funny. He was arrested and charged with Littering. While it is rare for people to be arrested for Littering, the police made an exception since their monument was tarnished.
Is Littering Really a Criminal Offense in Weld County?
Surprisingly, littering really is a crime punishable in Weld, Morgan, and Logan County Court. While most municipalities, like Greeley, Erie, and Evans, have there own codes about littering offenses, the state of Colorado also has a statute covering the offense of Littering. According to Colorado law, Littering – C.R.S. 18-4-511 – is defined as:
Littering is a class 2 petty offense, punishable with fines decided by the situation and the number of offenses:
| First Offense | $20 – $500 |
| Second Offense | $50 – $1,000 |
| Third or Subsequent Offense | $100 – $1,000 |
Sometimes, the court can use it’s discretion to impose a lesser fine and assign community service in the form of trash pick-up as explained below:
| First Offense | Suspend any or all of the fine in excess of $20 | 8 or more hours of trash pick-up |
| Second Offense | Suspend any or all of the fine in excess of $50 | 16 or more hours of trash pick-up |
| Third Offense | Suspend any or all of the fine in excess of $100 | 16 or more hours of trash pick-up |
Have you been charged with Littering? Contact the experienced criminal defense lawyers from the O’Malley Law Office to defend you today!
Have you been charged with Littering? Contact the experienced criminal defense lawyers from the O’Malley Law Office to defend you today!
Even though Littering in Weld County may not seem like a big deal, having any criminal offense on your record can negatively affect you. It is always best to protect yourself and have an experienced criminal defense attorney represent you in court.
If you or someone you love has been charged with Littering, be smart, exercise your right to remain silent, and contact the best criminal defense attorneys from the O’Malley Law Office at 970-616-6009. Together, we can protect your future.
Image Credit: Pixabay – Ana_M