Law Summary

Private citizens may personally arrest any person that disturbs a church service.

Full text of the Law

§ 97-35-17. Disturbance of worship; proceedings and penalty.

If any person shall wilfully disturb any congregation of persons lawfully assembled for religious worship, he may be immediately arrested by any officer or private person, without warrant, and taken before any justice court judge of the county, present or convenient, and on conviction thereof by such justice, municipal, county or circuit court, shall be fined not more than Five Hundred Dollars ($500.00) or imprisoned not more than six (6) months, or both.

Sources: Codes, Hutchinson's 1848, ch. 64, art. 4(3); 1857, ch. 64, art. 71; 1871, § 2713; 1880, § 2767; 1892, § 1034; Laws, 1906, § 1113; Hemingway's 1917, § 839; Laws, 1930, § 864; Laws, 1942, § 2090; Laws, 1998, ch. 432, § 1, eff from and after July 1, 1998.