Legal Question in Criminal Law in California

Trespassers have begun sleeping (and worse) in the exterior entryway of our commercial unit. We'd like clients to be greeted by something less off-putting than a glaring "no trespassing" sign. Does a "no loitering" sign have the same legal weight as a "no trespassing" sign? This is in the City of Sacramento. Thank you.


Asked on 11/02/15, 10:16 am

1 Answer from Attorneys
Edward Hoffman Law Offices of Edward A. Hoffman

Neither type of sign has much legal weight. What little weight they have is the same either way. Such signs merely give people notice that they're not allowed to do certain things in a particular place. Giving that notice matters but, from both a legal and a practical standpoint, it probably won't change your position very much.

Note that trespassing and loitering are not the same thing. Loitering involves staying in the same place for a period of time, but even a very brief act can qualify as trespassing. It's possible to trespass without loitering, or to loiter without trespassing. What you describe sounds like it's both.

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Answered on 11/03/15, 11:23 am


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