Lewdness Defense Attorney for Temple Students
College is often the time where students will take the time to have new experiences. Unfortunately, while committing to some of these new experiences, a student may perform an action that causes them to break the law. While lewdness is not the most serious of criminal offenses, it is an embarrassing offense to have to explain to friends, family, and especially a school disciplinary board. If you are a student at Temple University and you were arrested for lewdness, you should contact an experienced Philadelphia lewdness defense attorney.
The Law Office of Lloyd Long is here to help you defend against a humiliating offense such as lewdness. Our firm avoids taking a large volume of cases in order to devote our undivided attention to every client’s case. No individual wants to have an offense like lewdness on their criminal record, and we are here to fight against that possibility. To schedule a free legal consultation to discuss your case, contact the Law Office of Lloyd Long at (215) 302-0171, or contact us online.
Pennsylvania Open Lewdness Laws
Under Pennsylvania law, a person commits an offense of open lewdness if she engages in a profane act while reasonably aware that another person may observe this act and become offended by it. Open lewdness should not be confused with an offense like indecent exposure that typically requires some form of nudity. However, a lewdness offense often includes the commission of a sexual act.
To be arrested for lewdness, a person does not have to commit the offense in public; it is possible to be charged with lewdness when performing an offensive act in your own home. For example, if you open all the windows in your home and walk through your home naked where your neighbors or their children could see your exposed body, this is enough to be arrested for lewdness. Other actions that could result in an arrest for open lewdness include:
- Engaging in a sexual act in public
- Urinating outside on a public street where others could see you
- Viewing pornography in public
- Invading a person’s space to observe them performing private acts like bathing (i.e., peeping tom)
- Other offensive acts committed for the purpose of sexual arousal
It is important to note that while open lewdness is typically charged as a third degree misdemeanor, the circumstances of your case can result in additional criminal charges. For example, if you walk around your home nude and knowingly expose yourself to children walking past your home, you could be subject to criminal liability for other offenses.
Additionally, if your open lewdness act qualifies as a sexually-related crime, you risk having a sexual crime on your criminal record. If you are convicted of a sexual offense, this offense can follow you for the rest of your life and impact everything from a job application to the ability to secure good housing. The last scenario you want is to have to register as a sex offender because of a stupid mistake you made in college.
To learn more about Pennsylvania lewdness laws and the criminal penalties for this offense, you should continue reading and speak with an experienced Philadelphia sexual charges defense attorney.
Criminal Penalties for Lewdness
The criminal penalties for open lewdness will depend on the circumstances of your case. As mentioned, open lewdness is typically charged as a third degree misdemeanor in Pennsylvania.
Third degree misdemeanors are the least severe type of misdemeanor in Pennsylvania. First degree misdemeanors are the most severe type of misdemeanor and second degree misdemeanors fall in between third degree misdemeanors and first degree misdemeanors.
While third degree misdemeanors carry the least amount of criminal penalties, a defendant can still serve up to one year in prison and owe $2,000 in criminal fines if they are convicted of a third degree misdemeanor. When you consider that you can be arrested for lewdness for a quick act like urinating in public, it becomes apparent that this is a criminal offense that you should avoid.
Also, having a sexually-related offense on your criminal record can affect your relationship with Temple University. The disciplinary board could strip you of privileges like on-campus housing or even scholarships. The Law Office of Lloyd Long can not only help you defend your lewdness case in criminal court but also in any disciplinary proceedings initiated by Temple University.
Work with Our Experienced Philadelphia Criminal Defense Lawyer to Fight Your Lewdness Case
If you or a family member was arrested for a lewdness offense, consult with an experienced Philadelphia criminal defense lawyer. As a criminal defense lawyer and a former prosecutor, Lloyd Long has an enormous amount of experience litigating a wide range of criminal cases and disciplinary hearings at Temple University, and he would be honored to use this experience to represent you. To schedule a free consultation to discuss your legal options, contact the Law Office of Lloyd Long at (215) 302-0171.
