Can You Be Charged with Trespassing if You Enter a Bar or Club You’re Banned From?
If you’re banned from a bar or club, or indeed any type of establishment, and you manage to get in after your ban, you’re trespassing. It’s as simple as that.If you get caught trespassing, you could be charged.
Let’s take a closer look at the topic.
Yes, if You Enter a Bar or Club You’re Banned from, You Could Be Charged
Trespassing covers a multitude of incidents in which someone trespasses on a property without authorization, including people who attempt to sneak into bars and clubs after they have been banned.
You can also be trespassing if you sneak into an establishment to avoid the cover charge or if you present invalid identification.
So, trespassing isn’t limited to being on private land or property in the way we typically think about it. Now that you know you’ll be trespassing after you’re banned from a bar or club, hopefully, you won’t do it. But if you do, you could be charged.
The Classification of Trespassing Crimes
Many state laws differentiate between different types or severities of trespassing.
They can range from misdemeanors to low-level felonies. Also, the exact penalties for different types of trespassing can vary from one state to another. But penalties can include fines, jail time, probation periods, and sentencing alternatives like community service.
The penalty will depend on numerous specific factors, so it’s hard to say what the penalty will be for your trespassing in a bar or club you’ve been banned from.
However, it’s unlikely you’ll face a felony penalty. Generally, states reserve felony penalties for the most serious types of trespass cases, such as trespassing in someone’s home, into an area where emergency personnel are working, or onto critical infrastructure.
What to Do if You’re Charged with Trespassing
If you’re charged with trespassing at a bar or club after you’ve been banned, or if you’ve been charged with trespassing in any other circumstances, such as you’ve been charged with trespassing assault, you should consult a lawyer.
With an attorney on board who has skill and experience in handling trespassing cases, you stand a much better chance of receiving the best possible outcome.
Penalties for Trespassing
Most trespassing offenses are misdemeanors. It’s likely that trespassing at a bar or club you’ve been banned from will result in a low-level misdemeanor, although that and the penalty you receive could be based on other contributing factors.
For instance, you may have acted violently while you were trespassing. Misdemeanor penalties typically range from a fine to a maximum of one year in jail. However, jail sentences for trespassing aren’t very common; and if you do face jail time, it’s likely to be between several days and several months.
As for fines, the exact fine will depend on your specific circumstances. Fines can range from a few hundred dollars to a few thousand dollars.
If you’re convicted of criminal trespassing, you may have to serve a period of probation and ensure you don’t break any of the conditions of your probation.
If you end up facing a felony penalty, instead of a misdemeanor, you could face a few years in prison, though a felony penalty is unlikely for trespassing at a bar or club after you’ve been banned.
Final Thoughts
If you’ve been charged with trespassing, it’s not the end of the world. Contact a lawyer as soon as you can so you can better understand the legal situation and what penalty you could be facing.
Though, hopefully, you haven’t been banned from or trespassed at a bar or club; in which case, you can freely enjoy the best clubs, sports bars, and neighborhood bars in your locality.