common misdemeanors

In Mississippi, “disturbance of the peace” (often called disturbing the peace) is a misdemeanor offense that covers behavior that disrupts public order or provokes others.  This charge is often used as a “catch-all” when police want to de-escalate a situation or make an arrest but don’t have a stronger charge. 

"Any person who disturbs the public peace, or the peace of others, by violent, or loud, or insulting, or profane, or indecent, or offensive, or boisterous conduct or language, or by intimidation, or seeking to intimidate any other person or persons, or by conduct either calculated to provoke a breach of the peace, or by conduct which may lead to a breach of the peace, or by any other act, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor."

"Punished by a fine of not more than Five Hundred Dollars ($500.00) or by imprisonment in the county jail not more than six (6) months, or both."

Miss. Code Ann. § 97-375-15(1)

"Every licensee shall have the required license in his immediate possession at all times when operating a motor vehicle and shall display the same, upon demand of a justice court judge, a peace officer or license examiner or other authorized employee of the commissioner. However, no person charged with violating this section shall be convicted if he produces in court a license theretofore issued to him and valid at the time of his arrest."

Miss. Code Ann. § 63-1-41

"(1)No person shall drive any vehicle upon the public roads in this state in any race, speed competition or contest, drag race or acceleration contest, test of physical endurance, exhibition of speed or acceleration, or for the purpose of making a speed record, and no person shall in any manner participate in any such race, speed competition, drag race, test or physical endurance, exhibition, or purpose of making a speed record."

(4)Any person convicted of violating this section shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, shall be fined not more than One Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00) or imprisoned not more than six (6) months, or both.

Miss. Code Ann. § 63-3-1215

"(1) Whoever, with intent to provoke a breach of the peace, or under such circumstances as may lead to a breach of the peace, or which may cause or occasion a breach of the peace, fails or refuses to promptly comply with or obey a request, command, or order of a law enforcement officer, having the authority to then and there arrest any person for a violation of the law, to:

(a) Move or absent himself and any vehicle or object subject to his control from the immediate vicinity where the request, command or order is given, or (b) Arise, if lying or sitting down, and move to a point designated by said officer outside the immediate area of, or which is affected by the occurrences at, the place of issuing such order, command or request, or (c) Refrain from lying down or sitting down at, or in the immediate vicinity of, the place where said order, request or command is given, or (d) Refrain from obstructing, with his body or any part thereof, or in any manner, the lawful movement or passage of any vehicle, or (e) Refrain from placing, or permitting, or cooperating with another to place, his body or any part thereof, in front of or behind any vehicle, in such manner as to interfere with, or prevent its movement or block its path in lawful movement, or (f) Refrain from chaining or tying or binding himself or another to any object or person, or (g) Unbind, unchain or loosen himself, or remove himself, from any chain or other means whereby he may be prevented from moving away from the place or the immediate vicinity where he may be when such officer issues said order, request or command, or( h) Walk or move to, enter and remain in, either or both, as may be directed by such officer, any police or other vehicle operated by any law enforcement officer or department, or any other vehicle designated by such an officer, or (i) Act or do or refrain from acting or doing as ordered, requested or commanded by said officer to avoid any breach of the peace at or near the place of issuance of such order, request or command, shall be guilty of disorderly conduct, which is made a misdemeanor and, upon conviction thereof, such person or persons shall be punished by a fine of not more than Five Hundred Dollars ($500.00) or imprisonment in the county jail for not more than six (6) months, or by both such fine and imprisonment."

Miss. Code Ann. § 97-35-7