El Código Penal § 302 de California hace que sea un delito perturbar una reunión religiosa mediante el uso de blasfemias, mal comportamiento o ruido irrazonable. Esto es un delito menor castigable con hasta un año de cárcel y/o una multa de hasta $1000.00.
Ejemplos
- interferir con un pastor durante un servicio religioso
- gritar comentarios groseros a las personas que van a misa
- hacer gestos obscenos a los presentes en un servicio religioso
Defensas
Puede impugnar un cargo bajo esta ley al afirmar una defensa legal. Las defensas comunes incluyen:
- no tener la intención de interrumpir,
- no haber adoración religiosa, y/o
- necesidad.
Penalidades
Una violación de esta ley es un delito menor. Esto es diferente a un delito grave o una infracción.
El delito es castigado con:
- encarcelamiento en la cárcel del condado por hasta un año, y/o
- una multa máxima de $1,000.
Un juez puede otorgar una libertad condicional por delito menor (o resumen) en lugar de tiempo en la cárcel.
1. ¿Es un delito perturbar una reunión religiosa?
Sí. Un fiscal debe probar lo siguiente para condenarte bajo el PC 302:
- has perturbado una asamblea de personas para adoración religiosa en un lugar de culto exento de impuestos,
- lo has logrado con discurso profano, comportamiento grosero o indecente, o con ruido innecesario, y
- has perturbado intencionalmente la reunión religiosa.1
Ten en cuenta que puedes violar este estatuto al:
- hacer una perturbación dentro del lugar donde se está llevando a cabo una reunión religiosa, o
- hacer una perturbación fuera del lugar.
Si es fuera, la perturbación debe ser lo suficientemente cerca para afectar el orden y la solemnidad de la reunión.2
Ejemplo: Kelly sale de una iglesia después de tener una discusión con el ministro de la iglesia. Durante algunos servicios dominicales, Lisa entra en la iglesia y grita comentarios groseros al ministro.
Aquí, Kelly es culpable de perturbar el culto religioso. Ella se involucró intencionalmente en un comportamiento grosero durante una asamblea de culto religioso. También sería culpable si gritara sus comentarios fuera de la iglesia, siempre y cuando estuviera lo suficientemente cerca como para que los que estuvieran adentro pudieran escuchar.
2. ¿Cómo puedo defenderme de los cargos del Código Penal 302?
Puedes vencer una acusación de perturbar una reunión religiosa con una defensa legal.
Tres defensas comunes son:
- sin intención,
- sin culto religioso, y/o
- necesidad.
2.1. Sin intención
Recuerda que solo eres culpable bajo estas leyes si:
- intencionalmente,
- perturbaste una reunión religiosa.
Esto significa que siempre es una defensa demostrar que no actuaste con intención criminal. Tal vez, por ejemplo, perturbaste una reunión por accidente.
2.2. Sin culto religioso
Este estatuto solo se aplica a perturbaciones en lugares de culto religioso. Por lo tanto, puedes defender un cargo diciendo que:
- mientras pudiste haber perturbado una reunión,
- no se estaba llevando a cabo con fines religiosos.
Sin embargo, ten en cuenta que entonces podrías ser culpable de perturbar una reunión pública.
2.3. Necesidad
Una defensa de necesidad es cuando:
- intentas evitar la culpa,
- demostrando que tenías una buena razón para cometer el delito.
La gente a veces se refiere a esta defensa como “culpable con una explicación.”
En el contexto del PC 302, podrías intentar demostrar que:
- cometiste el delito porque,
- no tenías otra opción (por ejemplo, debido a una emergencia u otro propósito legal).
Una violación de esta ley puede resultar en una multa y/o tiempo en la cárcel
3. ¿Puede esto llevar a tiempo en la cárcel?
Una violación de este estatuto es un delito menor.
La ofensa es castigable por:
- cárcel del condado por hasta un año, y/o
- una multa máxima de $1,000.3
El juez puede permitirle completar varias horas de servicio comunitario en lugar de pagar una multa.
4. ¿Puede ser eliminada una condena por 302 PC?
Usted puede obtener una condena bajo estas leyes eliminada.
Esto es cierto siempre y cuando:
- haya completado su sentencia de cárcel, o
- haya completado libertad condicional (cualquiera que sea impuesta).
Una eliminación es algo bueno ya que elimina muchas de las dificultades asociadas con una condena.
5. ¿Existen delitos relacionados?
Hay tres delitos relacionados con la perturbación de una reunión religiosa. Estos son:
- perturbar la paz – PC 415,
- perturbar una reunión pública – PC 403, y
- crímenes de odio.
5.1. Perturbar la paz – PC 415
Código Penal 415 PC es la ley de California que define el delito de “perturbar la paz”.
(3) Found to be true by the court where guilt is established by plea of guilty or nolo contendere or by trial by the court sitting without a jury.
415. (a) Any of the following persons shall be punished by imprisonment in the county jail for a period of not more than 90 days, a fine of not more than four hundred dollars ($400), or both such imprisonment and fine:
(1) Any person who unlawfully fights in a public place or challenges another person in a public place to fight.
(2) Any person who maliciously and willfully disturbs another person by loud and unreasonable noise.
(3) Any person who uses offensive words in a public place which are inherently likely to provoke an immediate violent reaction.
(b) Any person who unlawfully fights in a public place or challenges another person in a public place to fight, is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment in a county jail for a period of not more than 90 days, or by a fine of not more than four hundred dollars ($400), or by both such imprisonment and fine.
(c) Any person who maliciously and willfully disturbs another person by loud and unreasonable noise, and who has been previously convicted of a violation of this subdivision, is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment in a county jail for a period of not more than one year, or by a fine of not more than one thousand dollars ($1,000), or by both such imprisonment and fine.
(d) Any person who uses offensive words in a public place which are inherently likely to provoke an immediate violent reaction, and who has been previously convicted of a violation of this subdivision, is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment in a county jail for a period of not more than one year, or by a fine of not more than one thousand dollars ($1,000), or by both such imprisonment and fine.
403. Every person who, without authority of law, willfully disturbs or breaks up any assembly or meeting that is not unlawful in its character, other than an assembly or meeting referred to in Section 302 of the Penal Code or Section 18340 of the Elections Code, is guilty of a misdemeanor.
422.55. (a) No person, whether or not acting under color of law, shall by force or threat of force, willfully injure, intimidate, interfere with, oppress, or threaten any other person in the free exercise or enjoyment of any right or privilege secured to him or her by the Constitution or laws of this state or by the Constitution or laws of the United States in whole or in part because of one or more of the actual or perceived characteristics of the victim listed in subdivision (a) of Section 422.56.
(b) No person, whether or not acting under color of law, shall knowingly deface, damage, or destroy the real or personal property of any other person for the purpose of intimidating or interfering with the free exercise or enjoyment of any right or privilege secured to the other person by the Constitution or laws of this state or by the Constitution or laws of the United States, in whole or in part because of one or more of the actual or perceived characteristics of the victim listed in subdivision (a) of Section 422.56.
(c) Any person convicted of violating subdivision (a) or (b) shall be punished by imprisonment in a county jail not to exceed one year, or by a fine not to exceed five thousand dollars ($5,000), or by both that fine and imprisonment, and the court shall order the defendant to perform a minimum of community service, not to exceed 400 hours, to be performed over a period not to exceed 350 days, during a time other than his or her hours of employment or school attendance. However, no person shall be convicted of violating subdivision (a) based upon speech alone, except upon a showing that the speech itself threatened violence against a specific person or group of persons and that the defendant had the apparent ability to carry out the threat.
(d) Any person convicted of violating subdivision (a) or (b) when the acts were committed in violation of Section 422.7 shall be punished by imprisonment in a county jail not to exceed one year, or by imprisonment in the state prison for two, three, or four years.
(e) In addition to the penalties provided in this section, the sentencing court may order a person convicted of a felony under this section to make restitution to the victim of the offense, as specified in subdivision (f) of Section 1202.4.
(f) As used in this section, “intimidation” includes references to an individual’s present or future physical well-being.
422.6. (a) No person, whether or not acting under color of law, shall by force or threat of force, willfully injure, intimidate, interfere with, oppress, or threaten any other person in the free exercise or enjoyment of any right or privilege secured to him or her by the Constitution or laws of this state or by the Constitution or laws of the United States because of the other person’s race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, disability, gender, or sexual orientation, or because he or she perceives that the other person has one or more of those characteristics.
(b) No person, whether or not acting under color of law, shall knowingly deface, damage, or destroy the real or personal property of any other person for the purpose of intimidating or interfering with the free exercise or enjoyment of any right or privilege secured to the other person by the Constitution or laws of this state or by the Constitution or laws of the United States, because of the other person’s race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, disability, gender, or sexual orientation, or because he or she perceives that the other person has one or more of those characteristics.
(c) Any person convicted of violating subdivision (a) or (b) shall be punished by imprisonment in a county jail not to exceed one year, or by a fine not to exceed five thousand dollars ($5,000), or by both that fine and imprisonment, and the court shall order the defendant to perform a minimum of community service, not to exceed 400 hours, to be performed over a period not to exceed 350 days, during a time other than his or her hours of employment or school attendance. However, no person shall be convicted of violating subdivision (a) based upon speech alone, except upon a showing that the speech itself threatened violence against a specific person or group of persons and that the defendant had the apparent ability to carry out the threat.
(d) Any person convicted of violating subdivision (a) or (b) when the acts were committed in violation of Section 422.7 shall be punished by imprisonment in a county jail not to exceed one year, or by imprisonment in the state prison for two, three, or four years.
(e) In addition to the penalties provided in this section, the sentencing court may order a person convicted of a felony under this section to make restitution to the victim of the offense, as specified in subdivision (f) of Section 1202.4.
(f) As used in this section, “intimidation” includes references to an individual’s present or future physical well-being.
422.7. (a) No person, whether or not acting under color of law, shall by force or threat of force, willfully injure, intimidate, interfere with, oppress, or threaten any other person in the free exercise or enjoyment of any right or privilege secured to him or her by the Constitution or laws of this state or by the Constitution or laws of the United States because of the other person’s race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, disability, gender, or sexual orientation, or because he or she perceives that the other person has one or more of those characteristics.
(b) No person, whether or not acting under color of law, shall knowingly deface, damage, or destroy the real or personal property of any other person for the purpose of intimidating or interfering with the free exercise or enjoyment of any right or privilege secured to the other person by the Constitution or laws of this state or by the Constitution or laws of the United States, because of the other person’s race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, disability, gender, or sexual orientation, or because he or she perceives that the other person has one or more of those characteristics.
(c) Any person convicted of violating subdivision (a) or (b) shall be punished by imprisonment in a county jail not to exceed one year, or by a fine not to exceed five thousand dollars ($5,000), or by both that fine and imprisonment, and the court shall order the defendant to perform a minimum of community service, not to exceed 400 hours, to be performed over a period not to exceed 350 days, during a time other than his or her hours of employment or school attendance. However, no person shall be convicted of violating subdivision (a) based upon speech alone, except upon a showing that the speech itself threatened violence against a specific person or group of persons and that the defendant had the apparent ability to carry out the threat.
(d) Any person convicted of violating subdivision (a) or (b) when the acts were committed in violation of Section 422.7 shall be punished by imprisonment in a county jail not to exceed one year, or by imprisonment in the state prison for two, three, or four years.
(e) In addition to the penalties provided in this section, the sentencing court may order a person convicted of a felony under this section to make restitution to the victim of the offense, as specified in subdivision (f) of Section 1202.4.
(f) As used in this section, “intimidation” includes references to an individual’s present or future physical well-being.
Cometes este delito – también llamado conducta desordenada – cuando:
- molestas a alguien con música alta,
- peleas con alguien, o
- usas palabras ofensivas en público.
Si una molestia involucra una reunión religiosa, entonces:
- un fiscal acusaría el delito bajo el PC 302,
- en lugar del PC 415.
5.2. Molestar una reunión pública – PC 403
Código Penal 403 PC es la ley de California que hace que sea un crimen:
- molestar,
- cualquier reunión o asamblea pública legal.
Si dicha reunión es un servicio religioso, entonces el delito se acusa bajo el Código Penal 302.
5.3. Crímenes de odio
Las leyes de California sobre crímenes de odio imponen castigos por dañar, amenazar o acosar a alguien debido a su:
- discapacidad,
- género,
- nacionalidad,
- raza o etnia,
- orientación sexual, o
- religión.
Estas leyes te castigan por:
- dañar o acosar a personas debido a sus creencias religiosas,
- y no por molestarlas durante un servicio religioso.
Referencias legales:
- Sección 302 del Código Penal de California. El lenguaje de la sección del código dice lo siguiente:
302. (a) Toda persona que intencionalmente moleste o perturbe cualquier asamblea de personas reunidas para el culto religioso en un lugar de culto exento de impuestos, mediante discurso profano, comportamiento grosero o indecente, o por cualquier ruido innecesario, ya sea dentro del lugar donde se celebra la reunión o tan cerca de él como para perturbar el orden y la solemnidad de la reunión, es culpable de un delito menor castigable con una multa que no exceda los mil dólares ($1,000), o con prisión en una cárcel del condado por un período que no exceda un año, o con ambas penas.
(b) Un tribunal puede ordenar el desem
(3) Encontrado verdadero por el tribunal donde se establece la culpabilidad mediante una declaración de culpabilidad o nolo contendere.
(4) Encontrado verdadero por juicio del tribunal sentado sin un jurado.
(e) Al ser condenada cualquier persona bajo esta sección por disturbios del culto religioso, el tribunal puede, de acuerdo con el desempeño del servicio comunitario impuesto bajo esta sección, y en consonancia con los intereses de seguridad pública y con el consentimiento de la víctima, ordenar al acusado que realice una parte o la totalidad del servicio comunitario requerido en el lugar donde ocurrió el disturbio del culto religioso.
(f) El tribunal puede renunciar a los requisitos mínimos obligatorios de servicio comunitario siempre que sea en interés de la justicia hacerlo. Cuando se otorga una renuncia, el tribunal deberá declarar en el registro todas las razones que respaldan la renuncia.
Ver también Church of Christ in Hollywood v. Superior Court (2002) 99 Cal.App.4th 1244; People v. Cruz (Cal. App. Dep’t Super. Ct. Mar. 2, 1972), 25 Cal. App. 3d Supp. 1.
- Ver lo mismo.
- Ver lo mismo.