Legal Question in Criminal Law in Massachusetts

Disturbing the peace

Can I be charged with disturbing the peace because some of my neighbors are complaining about how loud (their opinion) I play my car stereo as I pull into my driveway, which doesn't amount to more than a minute or two duration. The police have threatened me with this if they receive another complaint about it, regardless of what time of the day it is.


Asked on 5/29/09, 2:34 pm

1 Answer from Attorneys

Re: Disturbing the peace

Anyone can be charged and go to court and have a trial to determine guilt or innocence.

Whether you would win or lose would depend on the volume and time of day/night. The simple fact that the police have responded and given a warning indicates that it is a problem, and if the police were to impound the car and stereo system as evidence, you would not be able to use it until after the trial. The simple solution is to turn down the volume when driving.

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Answered on 5/29/09, 5:08 pm


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