CHAPTER XIV. PUBLIC OFFENSES Article 1. Anti-Litter Article 2. General Provisions Article 3 ...

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CHAPTER XIV. PUBLIC OFFENSES

Article 1. Anti-Litter
Article 2. General Provisions
Article 3. Offenses Against Persons
and Property
Article 4. Offenses Against Peace
and Good Order
Article 5. Offenses Affecting
Administration of Justice
Article 6. Offenses Against Morals
and Decency
Article 7. Miscellaneous Offenses
Article 8. Curfew
Article 9. Drug Paraphernalia
Article 10. Graffiti
Article 11. Disorderly House Nuisance
_____ ____________________________________________________

ARTICLE 1. ANTI-LITTER

14-101 SHORT TITLE.
This Article shall be known and may be cited as the "Lawrence Anti-Litter
Ordinance." (Code 1979, 14-101)

14-102 DEFINITIONS.
For the purposes of this Article, the following terms, phrases, words and their
derivations shall have the meaning given herein. When not inconsistent with the
context, words used in the present tense include the future, words used in the plural
number include the singular number, and words used in the singular number include
the plural number. The word "shall" is always mandatory and not merely directory.

(A) Aircraft is any contrivance now known or hereafter invented, used or
designated for navigation or for flight in the air. The word "aircraft" shall
include helicopters and lighter-than-air dirigibles and balloons.

(B) Authorized private receptacle is a litter storage and collection receptacle as
required and authorized in Sections 9-403:406 of this Code.

(C) City is the City of Lawrence, Kansas.

(D) Commercial handbill is any printed or written matter, any sample or device,
ledger, circular, leaflet, pamphlet, paper, booklet or any other printed or
otherwise reproduced original or copies of any matter of literature:

(1) Which advertises for sale any merchandise, product, commodity, or
thing; or

(2) Which directs attention to any business or mercantile or
commercial establishment, or other activity for the purpose of either
directly or indirectly promoting the interest thereof by sales; or

(3) Which directs attention to or advertises any meeting, theatrical
performance, exhibition, or event of any kind, for which an
admission fee is charged for the purpose of private gain or profit;
but the terms of this clause shall not apply where an admission fee

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is charged or a collection is taken up for the purpose of defraying
the expenses incident to such meeting, theatrical performance,
exhibition, or event of any kind, when either of the same is held,
given or takes place in connection with the dissemination of
information which is not restricted under the ordinary rules of
decency, good morals, public peace, safety and good order:
Provided, That nothing contained in this clause shall be deemed to
authorize the holding, giving or taking place of any meeting,
theatrical performance, exhibition, or event of any kind, without a
license, where such license is or may be required by any law of this
state, or under any ordinance of this City; or

(4) Which, while containing reading matter other than advertising
matter, is predominantly and essentially an advertisement, and is
distributed or circulated for advertising purposes, or for the private
benefit and gain or any person to engaged advertiser or distributor.

(E) Garbage is putrescible animal and vegetable wastes resulting from the
handling, preparation, cooking and consumption of food.

(F) Litter is garbage, refuse and rubbish as defined herein and all other waste
material which, if thrown or deposited as herein prohibited, tends to create a
danger to public health, safety and welfare.

(G) Newspaper is any newspaper of general circulation as defined by general
law, any newspaper duly entered with the post office department of the
United States, in accordance with federal statute or regulation and any
newspaper filed and recorded with any recording officer as provided by
general law; and in addition thereto shall mean and include any periodical
or current magazine regularly published with not less than four issues per
year, and sold to the public.

(H) Non-Commercial Handbill is any printed or written matter, any sample, or
device, dodger, circular, leaflet, pamphlet, newspaper, magazine, paper,
booklet or any other printed or otherwise reproduced original or copies of
any matter of literature not included in the aforesaid definitions of a
commercial handbill of newspaper.

(I) Park is a park, reservation, playground, beach, recreation center or any
other public area in the City, owned or used by the City, and devoted to
active or passive recreation.

(J) Person is any person, firm, copartnership, association, corporation,
company or organization of any kind.

(K) Private property or private premises is any dwelling, house, building or other
structure, designed or used wholly or in part for private residential purposes
or commercial purposes or industrial purposes, whether vacant or not, and
shall include any yard, grounds, parking area, walk, driveway, porch, steps,
vestibule or mailbox belonging or appurtenant to such dwelling, house,
building or other structure.

(L) Public place is any and all streets, sidewalks, boulevards, alleys or other
public ways and any and all public parks, squares, spaces, grounds and
building.

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(M) Refuse is all putrescible and nonputrescible solid wastes (except body
wastes, including garbage, rubbish, ashes, street cleanings, dead animals,
abandoned automobiles and parts thereof, solid market and industrial
wastes and construction wastes.

(N) Rubbish is nonputrescible solid wastes consisting of both combustible and
noncombustible wastes, such as paper wrappings, cigarettes, cardboard, tin
cans, yard clippings, leaves, wood, glass, bedding, crockery and similar
materials.

(O) Vehicle is every device in, upon or by which any person or property is or
may be transported or drawn upon a highway, including devices used
exclusively upon stationary rails or tracks. (Code 1979, 14-102)

14-103 LITTER IN PUBLIC PLACES.
No person shall throw or deposit litter in or upon any street, sidewalk or other public
place with the City except in public receptacles, in authorized private receptacles for
collection, or in official city dumps. (Code 1979, 14-103)

14-104 PLACEMENT OF LITTER IN RECEPTACLES.
Persons placing litter in public receptacles or in authorized private receptacles shall
do so in such a manner as to prevent it from being carried or deposited by the
elements upon any street, sidewalk or other public place or upon private property.
(Code 1979, 14-104)

14-105 SWEEPING LITTER INTO GUTTERS PROHIBITED.
No person shall sweep into or deposit in any gutter, street or other public place
within the City the accumulation of litter from any building or lot or from any public or
private sidewalk or driveway. Persons owning or occupying property shall keep the
sidewalk in front of their premises free of litter. (Code 1979, 14-105)

14-106 MERCHANTS DUTY TO KEEP SIDEWALKS FREE OF LITTER.
No person owning or occupying a place of business shall sweep into or deposit in
any gutter, street or other public place within the City the accumulation of litter from
any building or lot or from any public or private sidewalk or driveway. Persons
owning or occupying places of business within the City shall keep the sidewalk in
front of their business premises free of litter. (Code 1979, 14-106)

14-107 LITTER THROWN BY PERSONS IN VEHICLES.
No person while a driver or passenger in a vehicle, shall throw or deposit litter upon
any street or other public place within the City, or upon private property. (Code
1979, 14-107)

14-108 TRUCK LOADS CAUSING LITTER.
No person shall drive or move any truck or other vehicle within the City unless such
vehicle is so constructed or loaded as to prevent any load, contents or litter from
being blown or deposited upon any street, alley or other public place. Nor shall any
person drive or move any vehicle or truck within the City, the wheels or tires of which
carry onto or deposit in any street, alley or other public place, mud, dirt, sticky
substances, litter or foreign matter of any kind. In the event such materials are not
removed after twenty-four (24) hour notice from City officials to remove the same,
such person shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor. (Code 1979, 14-108)

14-109 LITTER IN PARKS.
No person shall throw or deposit litter in any park within the City except in public
receptacles and in such a manner that the litter will be prevented from being carried

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or deposited by the elements upon any part of the park or upon any street or other
public place. Where public receptacles are not provided, all such litter shall be
carried away from the park by the person responsible for its presence and properly
disposed of elsewhere as provided herein. (Code 1979, 14-109)

14-110 LITTER IN LAKES AND FOUNTAINS.
No person shall throw or deposit litter in any fountain, pond, lake, stream, bay or any
other body of water in a park or elsewhere within the City. (Code 1979, 14-110)

14-111 THROWING OR DISTRIBUTING COMMERCIAL HANDBILLS.
No person shall throw or deposit any commercial or noncommercial handbill in or
upon any sidewalk, street or other public place within the City. Nor shall any person
hand out or distribute or sell any commercial handbill in any public place. However,
it shall not be unlawful on any sidewalk, street or other public place within the City
for any person to hand out or distribute, without charge to the receiver thereof, any
noncommercial handbill to any person willing to accept it. (Code 1979, 14-111)

14-112 PLACING HANDBILLS ON VEHICLES.
No person shall throw or deposit any commercial or noncommercial handbill in or
upon any vehicle. However, it shall not be unlawful in any public place for a person
to hand out or distribute without charge to the receiver thereof, a noncommercial
handbill to any occupant of a vehicle who is willing to accept it. (Code 1979, 14-
112)

14-113 DEPOSITING HANDBILLS ON UNINHABITED PREMISES.
No person shall throw or deposit any commercial handbill in or upon any private
premises which are temporarily or continuously uninhabited or vacant. (Code 1979,
14-113, Ord. 9260)

14-114 PROHIBITING DISTRIBUTION OF HANDBILLS WHERE PROPERLY
POSTED.
No person shall throw, deposit or distribute any commercial handbill upon any
private premises, if requested by anyone thereon not to do so, or if there is placed
on said premises in a conspicuous position near the entrance thereof, a sign bearing
the words: "No trespassing," "No peddlers or agents," "No advertisement," or any
similar notice, indicating in any manner that the occupants of said premises do not
desire to be molested or have their right of privacy disturbed, or to have any such
handbills left upon such premises. (Ord. 9260)

14-115 DISTRIBUTING HANDBILLS AT INHABITED PRIVATE PREMISES.

(A) No person shall throw, deposit, or distribute any commercial handbill in or
upon private premises which are inhabited, except by handing or
transmitting any such handbill directly to the owner, occupant, or other
person then present in or upon such private premises. In case of inhabited
private premises which are not posted as provided in Section 4-114, such
person, unless requested by anyone upon such premises not to do so, may
place or deposit any such handbill in or upon such inhabited private
premises, if such handbill is so placed or deposited as to secure or prevent
such handbill from being blown or drifted about such premises or sidewalks,
streets or other public places. Mailboxes may not be so used when so
prohibited by federal postal law or regulations. (Ord. 9260)

(B) The provisions of this section shall not apply to the distribution of mail by
the United States, nor to newspapers which shall be placed on private
property in such a manner as to prevent their being carried or deposited by

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the elements upon any street, sidewalk or other public place or upon private
property. (Code 1979, 14-115)

14-116 DROPPING LITTER FROM AIRCRAFT.
No person in an aircraft shall throw out, drop or deposit within the City any litter,
handbill or any other object. (Code 1979, 14-116)

14-117 POSTING NOTICES PROHIBITED.
No person shall post or affix any notice, poster or other paper or device, calculated
to attract the attention of the public, to any lamp post, public utility pole, or shade
tree, or trash receptacle, or upon any public structure or building, except as may be
authorized by law, or approved by the City Commission. (Code 1979, 14-117)

14-118 LITTER ON OCCUPIED PRIVATE PROPERTY.
No person shall throw or deposit litter on any occupied private property within the
City, whether owned by such person or not, except that the owner or person in
control of private property may maintain authorized private receptacles for collection
in such a manner that litter will be prevented from being carried or deposited by the
elements upon any street, sidewalk or other public place or upon any private
property. (Code 1979, 14-118)

14-119 OWNER TO MAINTAIN PREMISES FREE OF LITTER.
The owner or person in control of any private property shall at all times maintain the
premises free of litter. This Section shall not prohibit the storage of litter in
authorized private receptacles for collection. (Code 1979, 14-119)

14-120 LITTER ON VACANT LOTS.
No person shall throw or deposit litter on any vacant private property within the City
whether owned by such person or not. (Code 1979, 14-120)

14-121 CLEARING OF LITTER FROM PRIVATE PROPERTY BY CITY.
Provisions relating to clearing of litter from private property by the City shall be as
follows:

The environmental, inspector or other designated agent of the City is hereby
authorized and empowered to notify the owner, or his or her agent, and where
applicable, the occupant of any private property as defined in Section 14-102, to
properly dispose of litter located on such owner's or occupant's property which is
dangerous to public health, safety or welfare or constitutes an unsightly condition
which is a blight to adjoining property, the neighborhood or the City.

14-122 SAME; NOTICE.

(A) Written notice of violation and order to dispose of litter shall be given either
by certified mail, postage prepaid, return receipt requested, or by personal
service. Such notice shall include the following:

(1) The Section(s) of this Article violated;

(2) A description of the litter condition and its location upon the notified
person's premises;

(3) The date by which the condition is to be remedied;

(4) A statement of the person's right to request a hearing as provided
by Section 14-125; and

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(5) A statement of the action which may be taken against the notified
person upon noncompliance.

(B) Where litter is located upon residential rental property, both the owner and
the occupant shall be notified, but the duties of owners and occupants with
respect to the disposing of litter upon the premises shall be determined in
accordance with the provisions of Sections 5-504 and 5-505 of this Code,
subject to the terms and conditions of any valid rental agreement.

14-123 SAME; ACTION UPON NONCOMPLIANCE.
Upon the neglect or refusal of any owner, agent or occupant so notified, to properly
dispose of letter within fifteen (15) days after receipt of the written notice provided
for in Section 14-122, or such longer period of time as the environmental inspector
may find reasonable, or within twenty (20) days after the date of such notice in the
event the same is returned to the City by the Post Office Department because of its
inability to make delivery thereof: Provided the same was properly addressed to the
last known address of such owner, agent or occupant, the environmental inspector
or other designated agent of the City is hereby authorized and empowered to pay for
the disposing of such litter or to order its disposal by the City, in addition or in the
alternative to filing a complaint in the municipal court against any person found to be
in violation of any of the provisions of this Article.

14-124 SAME; HEARING.
At any time prior to the expiration of the compliance period specified according to

Section 14-124 herein, the person notified to dispose of litter may request a hearing
before the Governing Body on the matter. Such request must be in writing. The
hearing shall be held by the Governing Body as soon as practicable after the filing of
the request therefor, and the person shall be advised by the City of the time and
place of the hearing at least five (5) days in advance thereof. At any such hearing,
the person may be represented by counsel, and the person and the City may
introduce such witness and evidence as is deemed necessary and proper by the
Governing Body. The hearing need not be conducted according to formal rules of
evidence. Upon conclusion of the hearing, the Governing Body shall record its
determination of the matter by means of adopting a resolution, and serving the
resolution upon the person either by certified mail or personal service.

14-125 SAME; COSTS.
When the City has effected the removal of litter or has paid for its removal, the
actual cost thereof, if not paid by the owner or other person responsible prior
thereto, shall be charged to the person occupying the property, or if the person is
also the legal-titled owner of the property, the costs may be assessed in the manner
provided in K.S.A. 12-6a17 or may be charged to the owner of the property on the
next regular tax bill forwarded to such owner by the City and shall be due and
payable by the owner at the time of payment of such bill.

14-126 SAME; RECORDED STATEMENT CONSTITUTES LIEN.
Where the full amount due the City is not paid by the owner responsible for such
payment within thirty (30) days after the disposal of such litter by the City, then the
environmental inspector or other designated agent of the City shall cause to be
recorded in the Office of the Register of Deeds a sworn statement showing the costs
and expense incurred for the work, the date the work was done and the location of
the property on which the work was done. The recordation of such sworn statement
shall constitute a lien and privilege on the property, and shall remain in full force and
effect for the amount due in principal and interest, plus court costs, if any, for

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collection, until final payment has been made. (Ord. 4778)
ARTICLE 2. GENERAL PROVISIONS

14-201 ATTEMPT.
An attempt is any overt act toward the violation of any ordinance done by a person
who intends to commit such a violation but fails in the perpetration thereof or is
prevented or intercepted in committing such violation.

Any attempt to violate any ordinance in this chapter is a misdemeanor. (Ord. 5516,
Art. 2)

14-202 SAME; DEFENSE.
It shall not be a defense to a charge of attempt that the circumstances under which
the act was performed, the means employed, or the act itself were such that the
commission of the violation was not possible. (Ord. 5516, Art. 2)

14-203 AIDING OR ABETTING.
(Ord. 5516, Ord. 9686)

(A) A person is criminally responsible for a crime committed by another if such
person, acting with the mental culpability required for the commission
thereof, advises, hires, counsels or procures the other to commit the crime
or intentionally aids the other in committing the conduct constituting the
crime.

(B) A person liable under subsection (A) herein is also liable for any other crime
committed in pursuance of the intended crime if reasonably foreseeable by
such person as a probable consequence of committing or attempting to
commit the crime intended.

(C) A person liable under this section may be charged with and convicted of the
crime although the person alleged to have directly committed the act
constituting the crime:

(1) Lacked criminal or legal capacity;
(2) has not been convicted;
(3) has been acquitted; or
(4) has been convicted of some other degree of the crime or of some other
crime based on the same act.

14-204 GENERAL PENALTY.
Whenever any offense is declared by any provision of this Chapter, absent a
specific or unique punishment otherwise prescribed, the offender shall be punished
in accordance with this section. (Ord. 8021)

(A) A fine of not less than $1 or more than $1,000; or

(B) A jail term not more than 180 days; or

(C) Both a fine and jail term in an amount not to exceed the amounts specified
in subsections (A) and (B) above.

ARTICLE 3. OFFENSES AGAINST PERSONS AND PROPERTY

14-301 CRIMINAL TRESPASS.

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(A) No person shall commit criminal trespass. Criminal trespass is defined as:
(Ord. 7902, Ord. 8021)

(1) Entering or remaining upon or in any land, nonnavigable body of water,
structure, vehicle, aircraft or watercraft other than railroad property as
defined in K.S.A. 21-5809 and amendments thereto by a person who knows
such person is not authorized or privileged to do so, and:

(a) Such person enters or remains therein in defiance of an order not
to enter or to leave such premises or property personally
communicated to such person by the owner thereof or other
authorized person; or

(b) such premises or property are posted in a manner reasonably likely
to come to the attention of intruders, or are locked or fenced or
otherwise enclosed, or shut or secured against passage or entry; or

(c) such person enters or remains therein in defiance of a restraining
order issued pursuant to K.S.A. 60-31a05, 60-31a06, K.S.A. 23-
2707, 60- 3105, 60-3106 or 60-3107 or K.S.A. 38-2242, 38-2243 or
38-2255, and amendments thereto, and the restraining order has
been personally served upon the person so restrained; or

(2) entering or remaining upon or in any public or private land or structure in a
manner that interferes with access to or from any health care facility by a
person who knows such person is not authorized or privileged to do so and
such person enters or remains thereon or therein in defiance of an order not
to enter or to leave such land or structure personally communicated to such
person by the owner of the health care facility or other authorized person.

(3) Entering upon the roof of any building without the permission of the owner,
the owner’s designee, or a tenant of the building. This subsection shall not
apply to:

(a) Law enforcement officers, firefighters, and emergency medical
personnel, during the course of their employment.

(b) Employees of any company providing utility service to the building,
during the course of their employment, when roof access is
immediately necessary to restore utility service or prevent damage
to the building or the utility’s infrastructure.

(c) Individuals who enter upon the roof to escape a structure fire or
other natural disaster.

(B) As used in this section:

(1) 'Health care facility' means any licensed medical care facility, certificated
health maintenance organization, licensed mental health center, or mental
health clinic, licensed psychiatric hospital or other facility or office where
services of a health care provider are provided directly to patients.

(2) 'Health care provider' means any person:

(a) Licensed to practice a branch of the healing arts;
(b) licensed to practice psychology;

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(c) licensed to practice professional or practical nursing;
(d) licensed to practice dentistry;
(e) licensed to practice optometry;
(f) licensed to practice pharmacy;
(g) registered to practice podiatry;
(h) licensed as a social worker; or
(i) registered to practice physical therapy.

(C) Any person convicted of a violation of this section shall be fined in an
amount not to exceed $1000, or sentenced to a jail term not to exceed 180
days, or both fined and jailed. Upon a conviction of a violation of subsection
(A)(1)(c), a person shall be sentenced to not less than 48 consecutive hours
of imprisonment which must be served either before or as a condition of any
grant of probation or suspension, reduction of sentence or parole.

(D) This section shall not apply to a land surveyor, licensed pursuant to article
70 of chapter 74 of the Kansas Statutes Annotated, and amendments
thereto, and such surveyor's authorized agents and employees who enter
upon lands, waters and other premises in the making of a survey.

14-302 CRIMINAL DAMAGE TO PROPERTY.
No person shall engage in criminal damage to property. Criminal damage to
property is by means other than fire or explosive:

(A) Intentionally injuring, damaging, mutilating, defacing, destroying, or
substantially impairing the use of any property in which another has an
interest without the consent of such other person; or

(B) Injuring, damaging, mutilating, defacing, destroying or substantially
impairing the use of any property with intent to injure or defraud an insurer
or lienholder.

Criminal damage to property is a misdemeanor if the property damaged is of the
value of less than $1,000.00 or is of the value of $1,000.00 or more and is damaged
to the extent of less than $1,000.00. (Ord. 5051, Sec. 1; Ord. 5516, Art. 3; K.S.A.
21-5813)

14-303 CRIMINAL DAMAGE TO PROPERTY; HARMING PLANTS.
No person shall willfully injure or destroy any plant, tree, vine, or flower, the
property of another, standing on or attached to the land of another, or shall
pick, destroy, or carry away therefrom or in any way interfere with any part of
the flowers or fruit thereof; except that this section shall not prohibit the
picking or carrying away of the ripe fruit of any tree, plant, or vine on any
property owned by the City of Lawrence; provided, however, that no ripe fruit
of any tree, plant or vine located in a public right-of-way or leased to another
party shall be so picked or carried away. (Code 1979, 14-302; Ord. 5516, Ord.
8639)

14-304 THEFT

(A) No person shall commit theft. Theft is any of the following acts done with
the intent to deprive the owner permanently of the possession, use or
benefit of the owner’s property: (Ord. 7928, Ord. 8021, Ord. 9256)

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(1) Obtaining or exerting unauthorized control over property;

(2) Obtaining by deception control over property;

(3) Obtaining by threat control over property;

(4) Obtaining control over stolen property knowing the property to have been
stolen by another; or

(5) Knowingly dispensing motor fuel into a storage container or the fuel tank of
a motor vehicle at an establishment in which motor fuel is offered for retail
sale and leaving the premises of the establishment without making payment
for the motor fuel.

(B) Penalty (Ord. 8021, Ord. 9256)

(1) Any person convicted of the crime of theft shall be punished by a fine not to
exceed $2500, or a jail term not to exceed one year, or both such fine and
jail term.

(2) Theft of property or services of a value less than $1500 is a misdemeanor,
and may be prosecuted in municipal court, unless it constitutes a felony as
described below:

(a) The theft in question is of property valuing at least $50 but less
than $1500 and is committed by a person who has been convicted
of theft two or more times within the five years immediately
preceding commission of the crime, excluding any period of
imprisonment;

(b) The theft in question constitutes a part of thefts from three or more
separate mercantile establishments within a period of 72 hours as
part of the same act or transaction or in two or more acts or
transactions connected together or constituting parts of a common
scheme or course of conduct; or

(c) The theft in question is of a firearm.

(Ord. 5262, Sec. 1; Ord. 5516, Art. 3; K.S.A. 21-3701, Ord. 7928, Ord. 8021, Ord.
9256)

14-305 THEFT; INTENT TO PERMANENTLY DEPRIVE.
(Ord. 9256)

(A) In any prosecution under this article, the following shall be prima facie
evidence of intent to permanently deprive the owner or lessor of property of
the possession, use or benefit thereof:

(1) The giving of a false identification or fictitious name, address or
place of employment at the time of buying, selling, leasing, trading,
gathering, collecting, soliciting, procuring, receiving, dealing or
otherwise obtaining or exerting control over the property;

(2) The failure of a person who leases or rents personal property and
fails to return the same within 10 days after the date set forth in the

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