Charged With Disorderly Conduct After Pushing a State Trooper

[firstoffender]

My question involves criminal law for the state of: Illinois


Is there a way for me to defend this? Here is what happened.

I lost BIG in casino. Got mad. Toppled the chair I was sitting while I walk away from the CHEATING roulette machine. A security approached me, told him to shut up! I knew he will take me away so decided to leave but before i left, I went to the bathroom. The bathroom that's outside the casino floor.

When I went out, state trooper approached me. I proceeded to ignore and just leave. Bear in mind I am ALREADY out of the casino floor. I AM ALREADY LEAVING!!! Because I know they will ask me to leave anyway.

I was blinded by rage coz I LOST A LOT OF MY MONEY. The state trooper proceeded to block my way. I was mad I push him away. He and the other guy then proceeded to cuff me harshly. I actually has bruise from my handcuffs.



I was already leaving the premises why do they have to block my way? For what?!

Long story short I was slapped with Disorderly conduct state wide. Taken to jail, mugshot, print, etc. I paid $120 so I did not stay in jail. Have a court date next month. Do you think a lawyer can get me out of this?

If not I plan to just use the public defender. Hopefully this will be dismissed. I dont know how this casino people can sleep KNOWING I lost BIG and still have the nerve to charge me. Wow.

[Dogmatique]

Didn't like the answer in the other forum, huh?

A public defender is a lawyer. You will need one of these. However if you can afford your own attorney you may find that you don't actually qualify for a PD.

Stop blaming the casino for your gambling problem. Nobody forced you to go, and you lost the money. That's the whole business of a casino - they want you to lose.

You're lucky you weren't also charged with assaulting a police officer. You got lucky.

[flyingron]

As pointed out, the machine didn't cheat, you appear to have both gambling and anger management problems.
The fact that you committed a crime on the premises doesn't go away just because you eventually left the premises.
A state trooper has the authority to stop you with an articulable reason. Assaulting him you were lucky you were only charged with disorderly conduct.
Take doggy's advice and get a lawyer.

[PandorasBox]

So let's see....

YOU walked into a casino on your own. YOU gambled. No one held a gun to your head and forced you. YOU didn't set a spending/losing limit, so you lost big. So you had a temper tantrum and knocked casino property to the ground.

Then when confronted by police, you assault an officer.

yep....that's all the fault of the casino.....

Do yourself a favor: Your state will have a hotline for problem gambling...call it...If you won't do that, then do like I do...I take a certain amount of money, and once it's gone, I'm done.

[Mr. Knowitall]

For everything that was happening, you present a depiction of events that unfolds like a slow motion silent movie.

A security approached me, told him to shut up! I knew he will take me away so decided to leave but before i left, I went to the bathroom. The bathroom that's outside the casino floor.

He said nothing to you? He just watched you walk away?

When I went out, state trooper approached me. I proceeded to ignore and just leave.

The trooper also said nothing to you?

Bear in mind I am ALREADY out of the casino floor. I AM ALREADY LEAVING!!! Because I know they will ask me to leave anyway.

Here's the thing - you're in a rage, knocking over furniture, telling people to "shut up", and... apparently expect them to be able to read your mind. If you refuse to stop and answer their questions, how would you expect them to know that you are in fact going to leave on your own? The security guard didn't summon the trooper because you gave him that impression.

I was blinded by rage coz I LOST A LOT OF MY MONEY.

It's not a good thing to be "blinded by rage", less so when you're dealing with a police officer.

The state trooper proceeded to block my way.

And we're back to that silent movie thing - he didn't say anything to you? He just quietly stepped in front of you?

I was mad I push him away. He and the other guy then proceeded to cuff me harshly.

No kidding....

I actually has bruise from my handcuffs.

Sorry to hear that.

I was already leaving the premises why do they have to block my way? For what?!

There you are, blinded by rage, knocking over furniture, ignoring security guards and telling them to "shut up", ignoring the police.... It follows that they wanted to verify that you were under control and were in fact going to leave - without causing any damage to casino property on your way out. The officer may have also wanted to get a sense of how intoxicated or impaired you might have been at the time.

Long story short I was slapped with Disorderly conduct state wide.... Do you think a lawyer can get me out of this?

Well, this was in a casino, so everything will be on video. Have your lawyer get the video.

We're talking about this statute:

(a) A person commits disorderly conduct when he knowingly:

(1) Does any act in such unreasonable manner as to alarm or disturb another and to provoke a breach of the peace;...

From what you have told us so far, your actions seem to fit that description. Your lawyer should see what the video reveals.

The fact that you were only charged with this particular crime, after pushing an officer, suggests either that they already decided to give you a break or that something odd may have happened - most people who push on-duty, uniformed police officers get charged with an offense significantly more serious than disorderly conduct. But this is all about your behavior after losing, not the fact that you lost. The casino happily accepts the money from losing gamblers on a routine basis - that's how they make (tons of) money. It's not a license to lose control on their premises and knock over their furniture.

[souperdave]

The OP needs to say a prayer of thanx that the charge was a simple disorderly and not the significantly more serious charge of assaulting an officer.

Then, after praying, the OP needs to seek professional help for their gambling and anger management issues before those two difficulties get the best of him in the not-too-distant future and the next offense(s) have worse outcomes.

[flyingron]

NATIONAL gambling problems hotline 1-800-522-4700

[firstoffender]

We're talking about this statute:

720 ILCS 5/26-1. Disorderly Conduct - Elements of the Offense.
(a) A person commits disorderly conduct when he knowingly:

(1) Does any act in such unreasonable manner as to alarm or disturb another and to provoke a breach of the peace;...

yap thanks that's what It said in the paper they gave me it was actually kind of blurry coz i was just given a copy. pretty sure that's what it said though word for word in the paper they gave me.

So what will I get here? Can't believe I got mugshot and prints for this wow.

[viol8te]

Are you really that dense?!? You can't believe you got a mugshot and prints!? I can't believe you haven't been flagged in every casino from Aurora to Indiana! You will probably see probation at the worst. Quit minimizing! You look bad when you do that.

[souperdave]

.....I got mugshot and prints......

Customary attributes of an arrest. You may become quite familiar with the process should you choose not to seek assistance with your gambling and anger issues.