Public Urination Case Results
Posted: 10 Aug 2023, 00:54
I was browsing online when I ran into a rather lengthy list of case descriptions and outcomes, on a trial attorney's website:
https://www.greghillassociates.com/sub-area_1.html
I haven't yet gone over all of them (there's about 90 cases listed there), but some of them should be of interest. I will point out that usually, the description of the events leading up to someone (usually male) getting caught short only spans 1-2 paragraphs, so you can skip the legal technicalities which follow. There's a few common themes that stand out. Frequently, a guy will be out enjoying a few drinks with some buddies, oblivious of time passing, and before they know it it's closing time. As he rushes out of the bar with his group, he'll realize on the walk back to his car, or just as he arrives at the parking lot, that he forgot to pee before leaving. Sometimes he'll try to do the right thing and slip back into a bar to use the men's room, only to face a huge line or get turned away by the bouncer. Other times, he may weigh the decision to hold it in during a lengthy car ride home, instead choosing to take a leak by his vehicle. Some guys decide to use a ride-share service for the night, figuring they can slip in a quick piss undetected before their driver arrives. Whatever the reason, he's forced to find a dark spot in an alley, parking lot, or bush, but gets caught when he least expects it.
Here's a few excerpts in no particular order:
***
Our client, age 22, went to the downtown Hermosa Beach area with a few friends before the group returned to college in cities outside Los Angeles for the fall semester. The get-together was cherished, made only more appreciated because the bars had been shut down for over a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic and now they were open again.
They all intended to enjoy a few drinks, so they took Ubers to the downtown area so they would not be tempted to drive back and risk a DUI arrest.
The group had dinner together and then went to Baja Sharkeez on the Pier Plaza area.
After about 1:00 p.m., the group decided to call it a night and call Uber to go home before the traditional rush of those leaving the bars at closing time an hour later.
Someone in the group suggested they go and check out the waves, so they all walked out on the Hermosa Pier together to a point where they could see the size of the surf.
As they were returning to the area where Uber picked up those from Pier Plaza, someone in the group announced he had to urinate. Someone else in the group said “me, too.” So, the group spread out a bit for privacy and each one decided to urinate in a separate area along 11th Street, near the corner with Beach Avenue, which are two of the streets bordering the large, ground level parking lot behind Baja Sharkeez, American Junkie and the Lighthouse Café on Pier Plaza.
Just as the group was doing so, a Hermosa Beach Police Department SUV drove by and spotted the group, each standing with their backs to the road and in a stance recognizable immediately as a male urinating. The officers stopped their car and got out.
One of our client’s friends noticed the police SUV and stopped urinating. The police approached him first and looked over at our client, who allegedly peered over his should while urinating on a fence, but did not stop urinating. One officer walked over towards our client and patiently waited while our client continued urinating.
The officer then asked for our client’s driver’s license and issued our client a ticket for violating Penal Code § 372, “Public Nuisance,” a misdemeanor. Our client’s two other friends also received a ticket for the same thing. Each young man signed the ticket, promising to appear in the Torrance Superior Court in a about six weeks. The officers then left.
***
Our client, age 29, went to the downtown Fullerton restaurant and bar area for Cinco De Mayo. Our client had no prior criminal convictions, but he did have a pending DUI case at the Westminster courthouse. He had graduated college, secured a steady job after graduation and then was laid off during the COVID-19 epidemic and was unemployed. His life was in chaos.
He ventured to the Fullerton bar scene by Uber to relax, as the bars were serving alcohol, albeit with social distancing. He had to use Uber because his driver’s license was suspended. He met some friends from high school there and one drink turned to two drinks, which turned to three and then four. He lost track of time, but as his friends started leaving about midnight, our client decided to also leave and catch an Uber back home.
As he was leaving Heroes Bar, he realized he needed to urinate before waiting in the area for his Uber driver and getting in the Uber to go home to Santa Ana, a good 20 minutes away.
He spotted a bush just outside Heroes Bar and decided to make it his urinal. He looked around and did not see anyone who could see what he was about to do.
However, our client was six feet, five inches tall, so being inconspicuous was relatively difficult. He was not five foot, three inches tall.
A uniformed Fullerton police officer walking the streets spotted our client and walked toward him while our client’s back was turned to him. According to the truly short police report, when the officer reached our client, “a steady stream of liquid was observed splattering on the ground from our client’s waist area.” In other words, the officer saw our client urinating.
When the client finished and zipped up his pants, he turned around to be face-to-face with the police officer. Our client was surprised and knew he was about to receive a ticket or even be arrested.
The officer asked our client if he was peeing into the bush and our client, according to the police report, admitted with was so and apologized. The officer then asked for our client’s driver’s license, which our client did not have, but provided him another form of ID.
***
Our client, age 25, went to Hermosa Beach to meet a few friends from work and enjoy a beer or two with dinner. He was an engineer who worked enormous hours and had not been out with friends for months due to COVID 19 restrictions. Finally, however, he met up with friends and thoroughly enjoyed the evening.
At about 10:15 p.m., the group decided to call it a night and each person headed home. Our client walked out of the bar and realized he needed to use a restroom. The bar had a long line of people waiting to get in, so he knew he had to find another place to relieve himself. A few other bars nearby also limited those who could enter, so our client walked out to the beach where he knew there were some public restrooms.
Our client walked to public restrooms near Hennessey’s and Scotty’s at the foot of the Hermosa Beach Pier. He walked up to the first one and pulled on the restroom door. It was locked. He tried the second restroom. It was locked. He tried the third restroom door. It was locked, too. He then realized all the restroom doors were locked.
Frustrated and quite urgently having to urinate, our client then decided to urinate near the drain by the public outdoor shower.
No sooner had he finished urinating than he heard a voice behind him saying, “Excuse me, sir. Excuse me.” Our client then turned around to find a uniformed Hermosa Beach Police Officer standing behind him. The officer asked out surprised client for his driver’s license and explained he was being cited for public urination (actually, a violation of Penal Code § 372, public nuisance).
Our client protested that the public restrooms were all locked, so he had no choice. The officer asked him why he did not just go into one of the local bars or restaurants and our client explained that the lines were too long and he could not wait that long.
https://www.greghillassociates.com/sub-area_1.html
I haven't yet gone over all of them (there's about 90 cases listed there), but some of them should be of interest. I will point out that usually, the description of the events leading up to someone (usually male) getting caught short only spans 1-2 paragraphs, so you can skip the legal technicalities which follow. There's a few common themes that stand out. Frequently, a guy will be out enjoying a few drinks with some buddies, oblivious of time passing, and before they know it it's closing time. As he rushes out of the bar with his group, he'll realize on the walk back to his car, or just as he arrives at the parking lot, that he forgot to pee before leaving. Sometimes he'll try to do the right thing and slip back into a bar to use the men's room, only to face a huge line or get turned away by the bouncer. Other times, he may weigh the decision to hold it in during a lengthy car ride home, instead choosing to take a leak by his vehicle. Some guys decide to use a ride-share service for the night, figuring they can slip in a quick piss undetected before their driver arrives. Whatever the reason, he's forced to find a dark spot in an alley, parking lot, or bush, but gets caught when he least expects it.
Here's a few excerpts in no particular order:
***
Our client, age 22, went to the downtown Hermosa Beach area with a few friends before the group returned to college in cities outside Los Angeles for the fall semester. The get-together was cherished, made only more appreciated because the bars had been shut down for over a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic and now they were open again.
They all intended to enjoy a few drinks, so they took Ubers to the downtown area so they would not be tempted to drive back and risk a DUI arrest.
The group had dinner together and then went to Baja Sharkeez on the Pier Plaza area.
After about 1:00 p.m., the group decided to call it a night and call Uber to go home before the traditional rush of those leaving the bars at closing time an hour later.
Someone in the group suggested they go and check out the waves, so they all walked out on the Hermosa Pier together to a point where they could see the size of the surf.
As they were returning to the area where Uber picked up those from Pier Plaza, someone in the group announced he had to urinate. Someone else in the group said “me, too.” So, the group spread out a bit for privacy and each one decided to urinate in a separate area along 11th Street, near the corner with Beach Avenue, which are two of the streets bordering the large, ground level parking lot behind Baja Sharkeez, American Junkie and the Lighthouse Café on Pier Plaza.
Just as the group was doing so, a Hermosa Beach Police Department SUV drove by and spotted the group, each standing with their backs to the road and in a stance recognizable immediately as a male urinating. The officers stopped their car and got out.
One of our client’s friends noticed the police SUV and stopped urinating. The police approached him first and looked over at our client, who allegedly peered over his should while urinating on a fence, but did not stop urinating. One officer walked over towards our client and patiently waited while our client continued urinating.
The officer then asked for our client’s driver’s license and issued our client a ticket for violating Penal Code § 372, “Public Nuisance,” a misdemeanor. Our client’s two other friends also received a ticket for the same thing. Each young man signed the ticket, promising to appear in the Torrance Superior Court in a about six weeks. The officers then left.
***
Our client, age 29, went to the downtown Fullerton restaurant and bar area for Cinco De Mayo. Our client had no prior criminal convictions, but he did have a pending DUI case at the Westminster courthouse. He had graduated college, secured a steady job after graduation and then was laid off during the COVID-19 epidemic and was unemployed. His life was in chaos.
He ventured to the Fullerton bar scene by Uber to relax, as the bars were serving alcohol, albeit with social distancing. He had to use Uber because his driver’s license was suspended. He met some friends from high school there and one drink turned to two drinks, which turned to three and then four. He lost track of time, but as his friends started leaving about midnight, our client decided to also leave and catch an Uber back home.
As he was leaving Heroes Bar, he realized he needed to urinate before waiting in the area for his Uber driver and getting in the Uber to go home to Santa Ana, a good 20 minutes away.
He spotted a bush just outside Heroes Bar and decided to make it his urinal. He looked around and did not see anyone who could see what he was about to do.
However, our client was six feet, five inches tall, so being inconspicuous was relatively difficult. He was not five foot, three inches tall.
A uniformed Fullerton police officer walking the streets spotted our client and walked toward him while our client’s back was turned to him. According to the truly short police report, when the officer reached our client, “a steady stream of liquid was observed splattering on the ground from our client’s waist area.” In other words, the officer saw our client urinating.
When the client finished and zipped up his pants, he turned around to be face-to-face with the police officer. Our client was surprised and knew he was about to receive a ticket or even be arrested.
The officer asked our client if he was peeing into the bush and our client, according to the police report, admitted with was so and apologized. The officer then asked for our client’s driver’s license, which our client did not have, but provided him another form of ID.
***
Our client, age 25, went to Hermosa Beach to meet a few friends from work and enjoy a beer or two with dinner. He was an engineer who worked enormous hours and had not been out with friends for months due to COVID 19 restrictions. Finally, however, he met up with friends and thoroughly enjoyed the evening.
At about 10:15 p.m., the group decided to call it a night and each person headed home. Our client walked out of the bar and realized he needed to use a restroom. The bar had a long line of people waiting to get in, so he knew he had to find another place to relieve himself. A few other bars nearby also limited those who could enter, so our client walked out to the beach where he knew there were some public restrooms.
Our client walked to public restrooms near Hennessey’s and Scotty’s at the foot of the Hermosa Beach Pier. He walked up to the first one and pulled on the restroom door. It was locked. He tried the second restroom. It was locked. He tried the third restroom door. It was locked, too. He then realized all the restroom doors were locked.
Frustrated and quite urgently having to urinate, our client then decided to urinate near the drain by the public outdoor shower.
No sooner had he finished urinating than he heard a voice behind him saying, “Excuse me, sir. Excuse me.” Our client then turned around to find a uniformed Hermosa Beach Police Officer standing behind him. The officer asked out surprised client for his driver’s license and explained he was being cited for public urination (actually, a violation of Penal Code § 372, public nuisance).
Our client protested that the public restrooms were all locked, so he had no choice. The officer asked him why he did not just go into one of the local bars or restaurants and our client explained that the lines were too long and he could not wait that long.