Trespassing
State-law specific No Trespassing signs
Trespassing is treated differently across states in the U.S. In Florida, for instance, trespassing is usually considered a second degree misdemeanor that can lead up to 60 days in jail and/or maximum fine of $500. In Idaho, trespassers can be imprisoned in a county jail for maximum six months and/or fined between $25.00 and $1,000. […]
Trespassing on train tracks: illegal, romantic, and dangerous
A few years back, the winning entry (by Alan Cheuse) of NPR’s 3-minute fiction competition started like this: “In Tucson, we found the train-hopping kids, and went with them to New York City. I was 15 and had never been out of Arizona. That summer, I’d learned to eat from Dumpsters, carry a knife in my […]
Bring your gun to work law passed in Tennessee
A recent gun law is pitting employers and employees in Tennessee against each other–and each group has the law on their side. A new bill, signed by Governor Bill Haslam, will allow people with handgun carry permits to store these weapons in their vehicles, no matter where they’re parked. However, the new bill conflicts with […]
Internet privacy and the market for your information
Telescopes may have been invented to gaze at the stars, but they also gave peeping toms the ability to invade privacies from a comfortable distance, rather than just window-adjacent tree branches. And although outdoor security cameras were an achievement in the durability of electronics, they raise major privacy concerns that rage to this day. Google […]
Landowner liability for trespasser injuries is under review
Sitting on the governor of Virginia’s desk is HB2004, an amendment to Virginia’s laws that limits the liability of the property owner when a person, trespassing on a property, gets injured. Trespassing is an infraction as old as private property itself. This bill serves as an extra legislative layer in protecting property owners against injured, […]
Skateboarding signs and fines
Did you know that anyone over the age of 14 in Martinsville, VA, gets slapped with a fine and a misdemeanor for skating on the sidewalk? Skateboarding laws take into account a lot of things from age, time of day, location, and even manner.