Arrested for trespassing on government property

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Question

Country: United States of America
State: MarylandI am a 19 year old college student living in Annapolis, MD. I was arrested for trespassing on government property (I hopped the fence at the governor's mansion and pulled the plug on an inflatable snowman). The maximum sentence according to the documents I received is 6 months jail time &or $1,000 fine. I plan to plead guilty. I am also looking for a lawyer. In the meantime, I am curious: QUESTIONS: WHAT SHOULD I EXPECT IN COURT? Will they really sentence me to jail?

Answer

Normaly not for this--Make sure you get counsel (or at least the public defender) to try to keep this off your record eventually--jail time is probably not likely if your record is very clear now. But having that arrest and/or a conviction on your record will make job-hunting etc. more difficult. Often this could be negotiated down to some kind of court supervision etc.