Las Vegas Criminal Defense Blog

If a casino patron in Nevada is suspected of being a card counter, the management can order them to leave the casino. If the patron refuses or comes back, they can then be cited or arrested for violating Nevada trespass law. Some notorious card counters have been banned from most of Nevada's casinos.

Nevada trespass law makes it a crime to go on or stay on another's property without their consent. In Nevada, trespass arrests often take place in casinos when rowdy customers are asked to leave and they refuse, or when they leave but then come back to retrieve their belongings in their hotel room. Security guards who detain patrons for trespass elect whether to call an officer to arrest them or else to have them summoned to court without them having to go to jail first.

Violating Nevada trespass law is a misdemeanor, carrying up to six months in jail and/or a fine of up to $1,000. However, it's rare for judges to order jail time unless the person is a repeat offender. And if it's a person's first offense, the prosecutor is usually willing to dismiss the case in exchange for a fine.

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Eric Alpert, a former real estate agent, was arrested by North Las Vegas Police for renting homes he didn’t own. He was charged with committing theft, obtaining money under false pretenses, forgery, as well as Las Vegas burglary law. After posting bond on $190,000 bail, he was released on Friday.

Alpert allegedly found abandoned or foreclosed properties, cleaned them, changed the locks, and rented them to people who had no knowledge of the false ownership. In all, he misused about twenty homes in Las Vegas. Records show that he filed actions to quiet title on properties, and if the owner never contested, he received the title.

Las Vegas Burglary Law (NRS 205.060) is the entry into any building or car with the intent to commit a theft crime, assault, battery, or any felony. You don’t have to forcibly enter the building or car to break Las Vegas Burglary law—you can enter through an unlocked or open door or window. However, “breaking and entering” allows the jury to infer that you had “burglarious intent.” (NRS 205.065).

In Nevada, the crime of trespass doesn’t necessarily have to do with sneaking onto someone else’s property or defying “No Trespassing” signs. According to NRS 207.200, you may commit trespass in Nevada simply by staying on another person’s property after being asked to leave. The following scenario occurs in Las Vegas trespass cases all the time, and many of them involve casinos:

If you’re in a casino and are being too noisy, a security officer may appear and ask you to leave. Unfortunately, the officer may be very rude about it, and, in an attempt to defend yourself, an altercation quickly ensues. Since you technically stayed on the premises after you were ordered to go, the guard may call the police and have you arrested for trespass in Nevada.

Luckily, NRS 207.200 is only a misdemeanor crime, and jail is rare for a first offense. However, since trespass looks bad on your criminal record, it’s worth hiring an experienced criminal defense attorney to attempt to get the case dismissed.