Is there a law in California making it illegal to challenge or offer
(in a public place) to physically fight someone (as in a dispute)?
Please provide a link. (Note - I am researching a historical event,
not planning on starting a fight)

Dear labdog-ga;

Thank you for allowing me to answer your interesting question.
Challenging a person to fight is indeed illegal according to the
California Penal Code.

CALIFORNIA CODES PENAL CODE SECTION 412, covers the illegal exhibition
of any type of boxing, fighting or sparring and does not stipulate
that such a contest must be motivated by a prize only. As such,
according to this statute, the making or accepting of a challenge to
?fight? (for any purpose) is against the law in California:

?412.  Any person, who, within this state, engages in, or instigates,
aids, encourages, or does any act to further, a pugilistic contest, or
fight, or ring or prize fight, or sparring or boxing exhibition,
taking or to take place either within or without this state, between
two or more persons, with or without gloves, for any price, reward or
compensation, directly or indirectly, or who goes into training
preparatory to such pugilistic contest, or fight, or ring or prize
fight, or sparring or boxing exhibition, or acts as aider, abettor,
backer, umpire, referee, trainer, second, surgeon, or assistant, at
such pugilistic contest, or fight, or ring or prize fight, or sparring
or boxing exhibition, or who sends or publishes a challenge or
acceptance of a challenge, or who knowingly carries or delivers such
challenge or acceptance, or?.?

Have you ever seen a television program and heard a California police
officer says into his radio, ?We have a 415 in progress??  Well, here
is the ?415? that he?s talking about:

CALIFORNIA CODES PENAL CODE SECTION 415, is a statute that governs
conduct such a fighting in public, disturbing the peace, and the use
of fighting words. Among other things it specifically addresses the
issue of challenging a person to fight:

?415.  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.?.?

You can read the wording of the entire statutes here:

CALIFORNIA LAW
http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/cgi-bin/waisgate?WAISdocID=40120825591+2+0+0&WAISaction=retrieve

Or here?

FINDLAW
http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/cacodes/pen/403-420.1.html


I hope you find that my research exceeds your expectations. If you
have any questions about my research please post a clarification
request prior to rating the answer. Otherwise I welcome your rating
and your final comments and I look forward to working with you again
in the near future. Thank you for bringing your question to us.

Best regards;
Tutuzdad-ga ? Google Answers Researcher



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California

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Thanks for the good information!