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srothstein wrote:I think we may need to pay very close attention to this case. It may have a side effect we do not like.

The man had rented a room from the hotel and was asked to leave. The police arrested him and did charge him with criminal trespass for refusing to leave. Think about this for a minute.

Several times, we have stated in this forum that a hotel room is like an extension of your residence. You have control of it and can carry guns in there despite a 30.06 sign properly posted on the hotel doors. If the hotel room is an extension of your home (or the equivalent thereof) then this is a true statement.

But if I am asked to leave my own home or residence, I cannot be charged with criminal trespass for declining to leave. To get me out of my home against my will takes an eviction order from a court. This is true if I own the home and failed to pay a mortgage or tax on it, and it is true if I rent an apartment and break the lease in some way (such as having a loud party or not paying my rent).

The suspect in this case was charged with criminal trespass. I could be worried about things for no reason, having missed something somewhere. But I think this case needs to be watched very carefully to make sure we do not lose out on something by a poor decision.