ARTICLE F
OFFENSES AGAINST PUBLIC ORDER
AND DECENCY
Chapter
55. Riot, Disorderly Conduct and Related Offenses
57. Wiretapping and Electronic Surveillance
59. Public Indecency
CHAPTER 55
RIOT, DISORDERLY CONDUCT AND
RELATED OFFENSES
Subchapter
A. Definition of Offenses Generally
B. Cruelty to Animals
Enactment. Chapter 55 was added December 6, 1972, P.L.1482, No.334, effective in six months.
Cross References. Chapter 55 is referred to in section 2101 of Title 5 (Athletics and Sports)
SUBCHAPTER A
DEFINITION OF OFFENSES GENERALLY
Sec.
5501. Riot.
5502. Failure of disorderly persons to disperse upon official order.
5503. Disorderly conduct.
5504. Harassment and stalking by communication or address (Repealed).
5505. Public drunkenness and similar misconduct.
5506. Loitering and prowling at night time.
5507. Obstructing highways and other public passages.
5508. Disrupting meetings and processions.
5509. Desecration, theft or sale of venerated objects.
5510. Abuse of corpse.
5511. Cruelty to animals (Repealed).
5511.1. Live animals as prizes prohibited (Repealed).
5511.2. Police animals (Repealed).
5511.3. Assault with a biological agent on animal, fowl or honey bees (Repealed).
5512. Lotteries, etc.
5513. Gambling devices, gambling, etc.
5514. Pool selling and bookmaking.
5515. Prohibiting of paramilitary training.
5516. Facsimile weapons of mass destruction.
5517. Unauthorized school bus entry.
Subchapter Heading. The heading of Subchapter A was added June 28, 2017, P.L.215, No.10, effective in
60 days.
§ 5501. Riot.
A person is guilty of riot, a felony of the third degree, if he participates with
two or more others in a course of disorderly conduct:
(1) with intent to commit or facilitate the commission of a felony or misdemeanor;
(2) with intent to prevent or coerce official action; or
(3) when the actor or any other participant to the knowledge of the actor uses or plans
to use a firearm or other deadly weapon.
Cross References. Section 5501 is referred to in section 6105 of this title.
Notes of Decisions
Cited in
12
cases (
1 in the last 5 years), 1975–2024 · leading case:
Commonwealth v. Africa, 422 A.2d 539 (Pa. Super. Ct. 1980).
Commonwealth v. Africa, 422 A.2d 539 (Pa. Super. Ct. 1980).
· cites it 2× “The appeal of defendant Consuella Dotson was docketed at number 1506 October Term, 1979, but has been non prossed, and the final defendant, Sharon Penn, has not taken an appeal from the order of the trial court.”
Commonwealth v. Reeves, 387 A.2d 877 (Pa. Super. Ct. 1978).
· cites it 2× “[4] Compare Section 5501 of the Crimes Code which specifically provides that: "A person is guilty of riot, a felony of the third degree, if he participates with two or more others in a course of disorderly conduct: (1) with intent to commit or facilitate the commission of a…”
Commonwealth v. Johnson, 612 A.2d 1382 (Pa. Super. Ct. 1992).
“GIVEN THE ESSENTIAL ELEMENT OF THE OFFENSE OF RIOT IS PARTICIPATION IN GROUP ACTION, WHETHER THE SEPARATE OFFENSE OF TERRORISTIC THREATS MAY BE INVOKED AS THE UNDERLYING “FELONY OR MISDEMEANOR” WITHIN WHICH THE PARTICIPANTS INTENDED TO COMMIT OR FACILITATE THE COMMISSION OF IN A…”
Commonwealth v. Gadson, 341 A.2d 189 (Pa. Super. Ct. 1975).
“Although there appears to be some controversy as to the exact wording of this indictment, the original Indictment No. 2126 appearing in the record indicates that the appellant was indicted for conspiracy to commit riot as well as disorderly conduct.”
United States v. Tremayne James, 952 F.3d 429 (3rd Cir. 2020).
“1(1), with 18 Pa. Cons. Stat. § 5501 (2019). Under the MPC, when a material element of an offense involves “the nature of [a person’s] conduct or a result thereof,” the person “acts purposely with respect to [that] element” when “it is his conscious object to engage in conduct…”
Com. v. Lopez, J., 2024 Pa. Super. 179 (Pa. Super. Ct. 2024).
“1 18 Pa.C.S. §§ 5501(1), 903(a)(1), 5502, 5507(a), 3503(b)(1)(i), and 5503(a)(1), respectively.”
Com. v. Taylor, D. (Pa. Super. Ct. 2016).
“Defendant was also charged with obstructing administration of law and other government functions, 18 Pa.C.S. § 5501. He was found not guilty of this charge.”
Craig, R. v. Dist. Attorney of Venango Cnty. (Pa. Super. Ct. 2020).
“” 18 Pa.C.S. § 5501(1). Likewise, a person may be convicted of criminal conspiracy if with the intent of promoting or facilitating [a crime’s] commission he (1) agrees with such other person or persons that they or one or more of them will engage in conduct which constitutes…”
Commonwealth v. Anderson, 380 A.2d 455 (Pa. Super. Ct. 1977).
“334, 18 Pa. C.S. § 5501. This appeal involves only one of five defendants below.”
Commonwealth v. Herr, 6 Pa. D. & C.4th 155 (1990).
“The Crimes Code, at 18 Pa.C.S. §5501, defines the crime of riot as: *158 “A person is guilty of riot, a felony of the third degree, if he participates with two or more others in a course of disorderly conduct; “(1) with intent to commit or facilitate the commission of a felony…”
— 18 Pa. Cons. Stat. § 5501(1) — 4 cases
Commonwealth v. Johnson, 612 A.2d 1382 (Pa. Super. Ct. 1992).
“GIVEN THE ESSENTIAL ELEMENT OF THE OFFENSE OF RIOT IS PARTICIPATION IN GROUP ACTION, WHETHER THE SEPARATE OFFENSE OF TERRORISTIC THREATS MAY BE INVOKED AS THE UNDERLYING “FELONY OR MISDEMEANOR” WITHIN WHICH THE PARTICIPANTS INTENDED TO COMMIT OR FACILITATE THE COMMISSION OF IN A…”
Com. v. Lopez, J., 2024 Pa. Super. 179 (Pa. Super. Ct. 2024).
“1 18 Pa.C.S. §§ 5501(1), 903(a)(1), 5502, 5507(a), 3503(b)(1)(i), and 5503(a)(1), respectively.”
Craig, R. v. Dist. Attorney of Venango Cnty. (Pa. Super. Ct. 2020).
“” 18 Pa.C.S. § 5501(1). Likewise, a person may be convicted of criminal conspiracy if with the intent of promoting or facilitating [a crime’s] commission he (1) agrees with such other person or persons that they or one or more of them will engage in conduct which constitutes…”
Annotations are extracted automatically from the opinions in the
Syfert caselaw corpus and ranked by authority, recency, and
treatment. Dots show Syfertize treatment of the citing case itself.