Citation for Class B Misdemeanor (Violation of Public Area Closure)

[elalendi]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Wyomming (where citation occurred)

Hello,
My friends and I were vacationing in Yellowstone National Park and entered a trail that was closed for construction, after hearing a woman say on the previous day that she got to the overlook on the same trail. We didn't get very far (just a minute into the trail) before the rangers caught us. The ranger had us go back to the car, and he wrote us a citation "Class B misdemeanor, violation of public area closure." Our court date is next month, but the ranger said we can call ahead of time to schedule a phone hearing with our prosecutor. When I asked the ranger if I needed to report this to my school he said I didn't need to for "this petty thing." We are university students on the East Coast, and none of us have a criminal record. How bad is our situation? The citation is very scary as it says a maximum sentence of 6 months in jail. I would really like to avoid having to hire a defense attorney.

Thank you!

 

[Zigner]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Wyomming (where citation occurred)

Hello,
My friends and I were vacationing in Yellowstone National Park and entered a trail that was closed for construction, after hearing a woman say on the previous day that she got to the overlook on the same trail. We didn't get very far (just a minute into the trail) before the rangers caught us. The ranger had us go back to the car, and he wrote us a citation "Class B misdemeanor, violation of public area closure." Our court date is next month, but the ranger said we can call ahead of time to schedule a phone hearing with our prosecutor. When I asked the ranger if I needed to report this to my school he said I didn't need to for "this petty thing." We are university students on the East Coast, and none of us have a criminal record. How bad is our situation? The citation is very scary as it says a maximum sentence of 6 months in jail. I would really like to avoid having to hire a defense attorney.

Thank you!

The ranger really has no clue whether or not you should "report" this to your school, and I don't know why he would have said otherwise. You are accused of a crime. You may wish to, at the very least, consult with a Wyoming attorney about this matter. You should also study your school's requirements.

 

[HighwayMan]

Folks always wait until after they get caught before they worry about the consequences of doing things they are not supposed to.

 

[elalendi]

yeah dude... never doing something this stupid again... T_T

Ok I'll look call a criminal defense lawyer in WY about a consultation. Some seem to have free consultations so that's definitely worth a try.

 

[sansuk]

Happened to us too

The same thing happened to us too. Could I please know what was the consequence of it? We are really scared about this!

 

[quincy]

The same thing happened to us too. Could I please know what was the consequence of it? We are really scared about this!

Please start your own thread and be sure to include the name of your state.

Thanks.