Trespassing is a severe property offense that is charged when you have allegedly entered someone’s property without permission. Trespassing tends to go hand-in-hand with burglary because burglary involves entering someone else’s property with the intent to steal something or actually stealing something.
Nonetheless, trespassing crimes tend to be mistakes. You may have wandered off, for example, and mistakenly entered property. Alternatively, you may have been chasing a lost pet or a friend asked you to go onto the property. Unfortunately, law enforcement doesn’t always see it that way and you will need a Duluth criminal lawyer to defend you against the charges. To learn how Poole Law Office PLLC can help you, contact our criminal defense lawyer now.
How Trespassing Is Determined
The following are situations that might lead to trespassing charges:
- Trying to enter a bar or restaurant after being kicked out or told to leave
- Allowing a domestic animal to go onto the land, such as allowing a dog to do their business on private property and the neighbor calls the police
- Interfering with a monument or sign that marks property lines, such as stealing traffic cones off of a roadway
- Trespassing onto property and refusing to leave when asked
- Entering cemetery property when the cemetery is closed
- Entering a locked building or dwelling of another individual without permission
- Entering the property of another person to take vegetables or fruit that is growing in their yard
- Entering a posted or locked construction site without permission
- Entering a mining site without permission
- Refusing to leave a battered women’s shelter, transitional housing, or another emergency sheltered service
If you are suspected of any of the above, you need aggressive representation to ensure the best outcome.
Penalties
Trespassing is a misdemeanor or gross misdemeanor offense depending on the surrounding circumstances. A misdemeanor offense has a penalty of up to 90 days in prison and a $1,000 fine. A gross misdemeanor offense comes with one year in prison and $3,000 in fines. In addition, there are collateral penalties. These penalties come in the form of losing your job, having difficulty finding a job, having difficulty finding a place to live, or more.
Contact a Duluth Trespassing Lawyer
To learn more about how we can help you, call us at 218-461-0247 or fill out our contact form so you can schedule a free consultation.
Poole Law Office PLLC also practices in the areas of criminal defense, DWI, divorce and bankruptcy.
(The content on this page is for informational purposes only, shall not be used as legal advice, and is absolutely no substitute for contacting an attorney for help)