Crime and Justice Atlas

How Justice Is Served
Sign In
Text size
100%
Theme
Offense

Mopery

Offenses Against Public Order and the Administration of Justice

Mopery is a vague, informal name for a minor offense rather than a formally codified crime, drawn from the verb to mope, which in the sixteenth century meant to wander aimlessly before later coming to mean to be bored or depressed. Police have occasionally used the charge of mopery when no other legitimate charge appeared to fit the circumstances at hand, and the term has since been used for satiric or comedic effect in books and films because of its informal, catch-all character rather than any real statutory definition. This description is adapted from Wikipedia contributors under CC BY-SA 4.0; changes were made. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

Facts
Elements of Offense
In 1970 in Columbus, Ohio, mopery was defined as loitering while walking, or walking down the street with no clear destination or purpose 1
Classification
Offense Grade
Infraction or Violation 1
Connections

Has Offense Grade

Sources
1. Wikipedia: Mopery
  • Definitions section
    In 1970, in Columbus, Ohio, mopery was defined as "loitering while walking, or walking down the street with no clear destination or purpose"
  • In Group: Intimidation, Defamation and Vigilantism, Lead sentence
    Mopery () is a vague, informal name for minor offenses.
View the Source
Comments (0)
No comments yet. Be the first to share a thought.
Reader Challenges (0)
No disputes yet. Spotted an error or a better source? Open the first one.