Crimes Against Religion

Crimes Against Religion Defined by Vegas Criminal Lawyer

In the state of Nevada, individuals are free to practice their religion. Not only does the First Amendment protect against the state’s intrusion on religious freedom, but there are also laws in place that prohibit other private citizens from interfering with the free exercise of religion.

Nevada takes the protection of religious freedom seriously, and crimes against religion are found within a special subcategory of Chapter 201 of Nevada’s code. Chapter 201 is the chapter of Title 15 that specifically deals with crimes against public decency and good morals. A violation of any of the laws within Chapter 201 of Nevada’s code can lead to a defendant facing serious penalties, so if you have been accused of a crime against religion, you need to get legal help right away.

LV Criminal Defense is here and ready to advocate for you and fight on your behalf when you have been accused of wrongdoing. Our compassionate and knowledgeable legal team has extensive experience representing defendants accused of all different types of crimes against public decency and good morals, including crimes against religion. We can work closely with you from the start of your involvement with the criminal justice system to identify what a prosecutor must prove, to determine what defenses are available to you, and to help you fight for the best possible outcome from a difficult situation.

Whether you need a Vegas defense lawyer who is a skilled negotiator to help you to secure the most favorable plea deal possible or you need a dedicated and experienced litigator who can stand up for your rights in court, our Nevada criminal defense firm can provide the help and support you are looking for throughout the entirety of your case. Just give us a call to find out about the ways in which we can assist you in fighting for your future when you’ve been accused of crimes against religion.

Nevada Law Defines Crimes Against Religion

The subsection of Chapter 201 that relates to crimes against religion includes offenses defined in Nevada Revised Statute section 201.270 and Nevada Revised Statute section 201.280.

Nevada Revised Statute 201.270 defines the crime of disturbing religious meetings. You could be convicted of this offense if you willfully disturb, interrupt, or disquiet any group of people who have come together for religious worship.

There are specific types of conduct that N.R.S. 201.270 defines as conduct that is considered to cause a disturbance of people congregated for religious worship. For example, you could be charged under N.R.S. 201.270 if you interrupt or disturb religious worship with noisy, rude, or indecent behavior or if you interrupt with profane discourse. You could face these charges whether the noisy, rude, or indecent behavior actually occurs within the place where people have congregated to worship or if you are so near to the place where people have congregated that your conduct disturbs the order and the solemnity of the meeting.

You could also be charged under N.R.S. 201.270 for disturbing religious meetings if you exhibit shows or plays in a manner that disrupts religious worship; if you promote any animal races or games of any sort that cause a disturbance; or if you engage in boisterous or noisy amusement near the worshipers.

N.R.S. 201.270 also makes it a crime to disturb free passage along a highway to a religious meeting without authority to do so if you are causing the disturbance willfully. You can be convicted of this crime if you are within one mile of the congregation of worshipers when you willfully block passage, or if you maliciously cut, injure, or otherwise disturb a conveyance or property belonging to a person who is attending a religious meeting.

Finally, you could be convicted of disturbing a religious meeting if you menace, threaten, or assault anyone who is part of the congregation or assemblage of worshipers if your purpose in threatening or assaulting that person is to interfere with the religious worship in any way.

Disturbing religious meetings under N.R.S. 201.270 is considered to be a misdemeanor offense. Potential penalties could include jail time, probation, and fines.

N.R.S. 201.280 also defines a different crime against religion, which is also considered a misdemeanor offense. N.R.S. 201.280 deals with the offense of selling liquor at camp meetings. This law prohibits erecting or keeping a booth, tent, stall, or other contrivance for the purpose of selling or disposing of liquors – including wines and beers – within one mile of a camp or field meeting that is being held for purposes of religious worship. It will be up to the prosecutor to prove that you erected the tent or structure for the purpose of selling the spirits close to the religious worshipers when the worshipers were holding a meeting.