Curfew laws prohibit or limit your right to be out in public at certain times. They are intended to maintain a certain level of order and safety in public spaces.

Most curfew laws apply only to juveniles under the age of 18. In contrast, other curfew laws are enacted temporarily in response to a natural disaster or civil disturbance (and apply to all people in a city or local area). This is often when martial law is invoked.

This subsection includes articles on common juvenile curfew laws, legal challenges to curfew violation charges, a list of curfew laws in the 25 most populous U.S. cities, and more.

Business and Emergency Curfew Laws
In some cities, business curfew laws restrict the operating hours of certain public establishments, such as grocery stores, restaurants, and liquor stores.

Typically, business curfews do not apply to late-night pharmacies and bars but apply to restaurants, liquor stores, and other establishments where people may gather.

Emergency curfews are usually temporary orders. These are put in place by federal, state, or local government in response to a particular crisis, like a natural disaster or ongoing civil disturbance. Emergency curfew laws can be placed on minors and adults alike.

Juvenile Curfew Law Exceptions
Many curfew ordinances require juveniles to be home by a specific time. The curfew applies to:

Any public space, such as streets, parks, highways, and schools.
Public establishments, such as movie theaters, restaurants, and bowling alleys.
Teens accompanied by a parent or guardian may be out after these deadlines. Additional exceptions include if the minor is:

• With a parent, guardian, or another responsible adult.
• At work or in the process of going to or coming from home or work
• Involved in an emergency
• Going to, attending, or coming home from a supervised school, church, or recreational activity or in front of his/her own residence.

Legal Challenges to Juvenile Curfew Laws
Curfew ordinances have been around for well over a century. Curfews were first used to curb the actions of young people in Omaha in 1880.

They have been in effect for decades in many municipalities, including Chicago, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, St. Louis, and San Francisco.

Despite their popularity with local governments, existing studies show little evidence to support the notion that curfews are effective at reducing crime. Challenges have been mounted to some curfew laws on the basis that they violate juveniles’ First Amendment rights to free speech and association.

Hiring a Criminal Defense Attorney
Watching your child get in trouble with the law can be extremely nerve-wracking and heartbreaking. Obtaining a criminal defense lawyer can offer your child the chance to prove his or her innocence. Similarly, when adults face arrest for violating a curfew law, attorneys can work to help protect their records.

Your attorney can try to:

• Convince a probation officer not to request a petition to be filed
• Request release
• Convince the District Attorney not to file charges in the first place
• Request that probation is informally supervised without filing a petition
  Convince the District Attorney to file a lesser charge
• Suggest a rehabilitation program as probation for your child
• Fight to have you or your child acquitted of any charges

Property Crimes

Property crimes include many common crimes relating to theft or destruction of someone else’s property. They can range from lower level offenses such as shoplifting or vandalism to high-level felonies including armed robbery and arson. Some such crimes do not require the offender to make off with stolen goods or even to harm a victim – such as burglary, which only requires unlawful entry with the intent to commit a crime. Others require the actual taking of money or property. Some, such as robbery, require a victim present at the time of the crime. Most property crimes include a spectrum of degrees depending on factors including the amount stolen and use of force or arms in theft related cases, and actual or potential bodily injury in property destruction crimes such as arson. Below you’ll find more information on specific property crimes.

Burglary Defenses

There are several defenses to the crime of burglary. The one most commonly used is lack of intent to commit a crime. Typically, a burglar intends to steal something, but it also is burglary to enter a building with the intent to commit another crime, such as assaulting and causing injury to someone inside. The crime of burglary does not require the intended crime to be successfully complete. The prosecutor must prove that the defendant entered the structure for the purpose of committing theft or another felony. This rules out any case in which the defendant did not form the requisite intent until after entering the structure.

Burglary Penalties and Sentencing

A burglary conviction comes with several possible penalties, though the possible sentences for burglary convictions differ widely among states. Depending on the jurisdiction as well as the circumstances, burglary may either be charged as a misdemeanor or a felony and a judge will sentence the defendant accordingly. Judges will also consider the statutory ranges in addition to any aggravating and mitigating factors that might be present in the case. Typically, a burglary conviction carries a wide range of incarceration options including years in prison, a huge fine, court-mandated restitution to the victim and a lengthy probation period.

Can I Be Accused Of Stealing Something I Borrowed If I Forget to Return It?

Maybe. Anyone can make the honest mistake of forgetting to return a borrowed item. Time passes, memory slips and before you know it, the person from whom you borrowed the item will wonder whether he or she will ever get their goods back. The key determining factor is what your intent was. In order to be guilty of stealing, you need to have the intent to never return the item to its rightful owner at the time you begin borrowing the item. If you legitimately forgot to return a borrowed item to its rightful owner, then you lacked specific intent to steal the item.

How a Criminal Defense Attorney Can Help You
Property crimes are serious, and you should never make any decisions about your case without first talking to an experienced criminal defense attorney. A skilled criminal defense lawyer can evaluate the strength of the evidence against you, assess any defenses you might have, and give you advice based on the laws of your state. Most importantly, an attorney in your area will know how judges and prosecutors handle cases like yours. Contact a qualified criminal lawyer to make sure your rights are protected.

Property Crimes

Property crimes include many common crimes relating to theft or destruction of someone else’s property. They can range from lower level offenses such as shoplifting or vandalism to high-level felonies including armed robbery and arson. Some such crimes do not require the offender to make off with stolen goods or even to harm a victim – such as burglary, which only requires unlawful entry with the intent to commit a crime. Others require the actual taking of money or property. Some, such as robbery, require a victim present at the time of the crime. Most property crimes include a spectrum of degrees depending on factors including the amount stolen and use of force or arms in theft related cases, and actual or potential bodily injury in property destruction crimes such as arson. Below you’ll find more information on specific property crimes.

Burglary Defenses

There are several defenses to the crime of burglary. The one most commonly used is lack of intent to commit a crime. Typically, a burglar intends to steal something, but it also is burglary to enter a building with the intent to commit another crime, such as assaulting and causing injury to someone inside. The crime of burglary does not require the intended crime to be successfully complete. The prosecutor must prove that the defendant entered the structure for the purpose of committing theft or another felony. This rules out any case in which the defendant did not form the requisite intent until after entering the structure.

Burglary Penalties and Sentencing

A burglary conviction comes with several possible penalties, though the possible sentences for burglary convictions differ widely among states. Depending on the jurisdiction as well as the circumstances, burglary may either be charged as a misdemeanor or a felony and a judge will sentence the defendant accordingly. Judges will also consider the statutory ranges in addition to any aggravating and mitigating factors that might be present in the case. Typically, a burglary conviction carries a wide range of incarceration options including years in prison, a huge fine, court-mandated restitution to the victim and a lengthy probation period.

Can I Be Accused Of Stealing Something I Borrowed If I Forget to Return It?

Maybe. Anyone can make the honest mistake of forgetting to return a borrowed item. Time passes, memory slips and before you know it, the person from whom you borrowed the item will wonder whether he or she will ever get their goods back. The key determining factor is what your intent was. In order to be guilty of stealing, you need to have the intent to never return the item to its rightful owner at the time you begin borrowing the item. If you legitimately forgot to return a borrowed item to its rightful owner, then you lacked specific intent to steal the item.

How a Criminal Defense Attorney Can Help You
Property crimes are serious, and you should never make any decisions about your case without first talking to an experienced criminal defense attorney. A skilled criminal defense lawyer can evaluate the strength of the evidence against you, assess any defenses you might have, and give you advice based on the laws of your state. Most importantly, an attorney in your area will know how judges and prosecutors handle cases like yours. Contact a qualified criminal lawyer to make sure your rights are protected.

Property Crimes

Property crimes include many common crimes relating to theft or destruction of someone else’s property. They can range from lower level offenses such as shoplifting or vandalism to high-level felonies including armed robbery and arson. Some such crimes do not require the offender to make off with stolen goods or even to harm a victim – such as burglary, which only requires unlawful entry with the intent to commit a crime. Others require the actual taking of money or property. Some, such as robbery, require a victim present at the time of the crime. Most property crimes include a spectrum of degrees depending on factors including the amount stolen and use of force or arms in theft related cases, and actual or potential bodily injury in property destruction crimes such as arson. Below you’ll find more information on specific property crimes.

Burglary Defenses

There are several defenses to the crime of burglary. The one most commonly used is lack of intent to commit a crime. Typically, a burglar intends to steal something, but it also is burglary to enter a building with the intent to commit another crime, such as assaulting and causing injury to someone inside. The crime of burglary does not require the intended crime to be successfully complete. The prosecutor must prove that the defendant entered the structure for the purpose of committing theft or another felony. This rules out any case in which the defendant did not form the requisite intent until after entering the structure.

Burglary Penalties and Sentencing

A burglary conviction comes with several possible penalties, though the possible sentences for burglary convictions differ widely among states. Depending on the jurisdiction as well as the circumstances, burglary may either be charged as a misdemeanor or a felony and a judge will sentence the defendant accordingly. Judges will also consider the statutory ranges in addition to any aggravating and mitigating factors that might be present in the case. Typically, a burglary conviction carries a wide range of incarceration options including years in prison, a huge fine, court-mandated restitution to the victim and a lengthy probation period.

Can I Be Accused Of Stealing Something I Borrowed If I Forget to Return It?

Maybe. Anyone can make the honest mistake of forgetting to return a borrowed item. Time passes, memory slips and before you know it, the person from whom you borrowed the item will wonder whether he or she will ever get their goods back. The key determining factor is what your intent was. In order to be guilty of stealing, you need to have the intent to never return the item to its rightful owner at the time you begin borrowing the item. If you legitimately forgot to return a borrowed item to its rightful owner, then you lacked specific intent to steal the item.

How a Criminal Defense Attorney Can Help You
Property crimes are serious, and you should never make any decisions about your case without first talking to an experienced criminal defense attorney. A skilled criminal defense lawyer can evaluate the strength of the evidence against you, assess any defenses you might have, and give you advice based on the laws of your state. Most importantly, an attorney in your area will know how judges and prosecutors handle cases like yours. Contact a qualified criminal lawyer to make sure your rights are protected.

Property Crimes

Property crimes include many common crimes relating to theft or destruction of someone else’s property. They can range from lower level offenses such as shoplifting or vandalism to high-level felonies including armed robbery and arson. Some such crimes do not require the offender to make off with stolen goods or even to harm a victim – such as burglary, which only requires unlawful entry with the intent to commit a crime. Others require the actual taking of money or property. Some, such as robbery, require a victim present at the time of the crime. Most property crimes include a spectrum of degrees depending on factors including the amount stolen and use of force or arms in theft related cases, and actual or potential bodily injury in property destruction crimes such as arson. Below you’ll find more information on specific property crimes.

Burglary Defenses

There are several defenses to the crime of burglary. The one most commonly used is lack of intent to commit a crime. Typically, a burglar intends to steal something, but it also is burglary to enter a building with the intent to commit another crime, such as assaulting and causing injury to someone inside. The crime of burglary does not require the intended crime to be successfully complete. The prosecutor must prove that the defendant entered the structure for the purpose of committing theft or another felony. This rules out any case in which the defendant did not form the requisite intent until after entering the structure.

Burglary Penalties and Sentencing

A burglary conviction comes with several possible penalties, though the possible sentences for burglary convictions differ widely among states. Depending on the jurisdiction as well as the circumstances, burglary may either be charged as a misdemeanor or a felony and a judge will sentence the defendant accordingly. Judges will also consider the statutory ranges in addition to any aggravating and mitigating factors that might be present in the case. Typically, a burglary conviction carries a wide range of incarceration options including years in prison, a huge fine, court-mandated restitution to the victim and a lengthy probation period.

Can I Be Accused Of Stealing Something I Borrowed If I Forget to Return It?

Maybe. Anyone can make the honest mistake of forgetting to return a borrowed item. Time passes, memory slips and before you know it, the person from whom you borrowed the item will wonder whether he or she will ever get their goods back. The key determining factor is what your intent was. In order to be guilty of stealing, you need to have the intent to never return the item to its rightful owner at the time you begin borrowing the item. If you legitimately forgot to return a borrowed item to its rightful owner, then you lacked specific intent to steal the item.

How a Criminal Defense Attorney Can Help You
Property crimes are serious, and you should never make any decisions about your case without first talking to an experienced criminal defense attorney. A skilled criminal defense lawyer can evaluate the strength of the evidence against you, assess any defenses you might have, and give you advice based on the laws of your state. Most importantly, an attorney in your area will know how judges and prosecutors handle cases like yours. Contact a qualified criminal lawyer to make sure your rights are protected.