Atlantic City Lawyer Fights Criminal Trespass Charges in Atlantic City

Getting charged with criminal trespassing may not seem like a big deal, but a criminal record is always a big deal. It can hurt, or even ruin, your chances of getting a job or housing for many years. If you’ve been charged with criminal trespassing, you should seek skilled legal representation without delay. Criminal trespassing at casinos in Atlantic City can mean fines and jail time, but it doesn’t have to. Work with an experienced criminal defense attorney to protect your freedom and your reputation.

There are three basic types of criminal trespassing. These are:

When you enter a building, whether it’s a public or private commercial building or home residence, without legal authority to be there, it’s considered an unlicensed entry into a structure.  An example of this might be trying to get into your kid’s school after hours or going into a neighbor’s house unannounced. You may not be looking to do anything nefarious, perhaps you were just trying to get a book out of your son’s locker. However, it’s still against the law. While this is typically a disorderly persons offense, it can become a fourth-degree crime depending on the type of structure you are entering.

We’ve all seen “no trespassing signs before.” Simply put, when you enter a building or area despite clearly-posted signage, you may be charged with defiant trespassing is when you enter or remain in a place to which notice against trespass is given. For example, climbing over a fence marked “No Trespassing” would be defiant trespassing. This is a disorderly persons offense.

You may think “peeping toms” only exist in the movies — not true. Peering into a dwelling is a crime of the fourth degree. This refers to peering (or looking) into an overnight dwelling of another person with the intent to invade their privacy.

If you are convicted of any criminal trespassing charge in a casino or anywhere else, you will have a criminal record and likely pay in the form of hefty fines and jail time. This is not a situation you should take lightly, nor should you hire an inexperienced attorney. Atlantic City Attorney John W. Tumelty has over 35 years of experience successfully defending all types of criminal defense cases, from traffic violations to assault and murder. He understands the local laws and how to keep people out of jail.

Attorney Works Hard to Get Your Criminal Trespassing Charges Dismissed in Atlantic, Cape May and Ocean Counties

Depending on the nature of your criminal trespassing charge, there are many different strategies of defense. Some of the most common defenses against criminal trespassing charges include:

• You reasonably believed you had a right to be there
• The place was open to the public
• The property was abandoned, or you believed it to be abandoned

Criminal trespassing of a dwelling often involves disputes between neighbors or domestic violence cases which culminate in a restraining order. If the restraining order prohibits you from being on someone’s property, your presence there could result in a charge of criminal trespassing. Since these cases often involve close, personal relationships, they can get ugly very fast. Even when it’s impossible to get the case dismissed, a skilled attorney can often negotiate charges down from a fourth-degree crime to a disorderly persons offense.

In Atlantic City specifically, criminal trespassing in a casino is actually a very common charge. For example, if you were accused of committing a crime or you were so drunk you were asked to leave the casino, you may have been barred from re-entry. This stipulation may also apply to other casinos owned by the same company. If you go back to the casino after you were asked to leave, you may get charged with criminal trespass.

Criminal Trespassing Charges Can Be Serious. Contact an Experienced NJ criminal defense Attorney Today

If you’ve been charged with trespassing, in any form, it is very important to hire a skilled lawyer right away. These cases can escalate quickly. Contact the offices of Attorney John W. Tumelty to schedule a free consultation in Cape May, Wildwood, Brigantine, Margate, Ventnor, Longport, Little Egg Harbor, Ocean Township and throughout New Jersey. He has offices in Marmora and Atlantic City, NJ.