What it means when arrested on “drunk in public” charges, 647 PC.
Most of the alcohol-related arrests we hear about in the news tend to come in the form of DUIs; rarely do individuals end up being arrested for simply being drunk in public.
California Penal Code 647 PC covers the State’s “drunk in public” laws. In order to be charged with “drunk in public,” it requires more than just being extremely drunk in a public place.
In order to be charged, an individual must represent the inability to care for their own safety or that of others, and/or interfere with, obstruct, or prevent others from using “public ways” (streets, sidewalks, etc.)
