5 Common Crimes Committed on Halloween

Beware: Illicit Activities Are Frequent on Halloween Night

Halloween is a beloved holiday for many Americans, allowing them to dress-up, trick-or-treat and party. However, like with all good things, your Halloween celebration can quickly come to an end. Crimes are often committed at a higher rate on holidays like New Year’s Eve, Labor Day and Halloween.

As Halloween quickly approaches, it can benefit you to learn about the five common crimes committed on this holiday to best avoid getting into a messy encounter with the law. They include:

DUI

While children are out trick-or-treating, adults and underage drinkers celebrate the holiday with “boos” and booze. Partygoers waste no time making the most of this spooky time of year but may end up paying a costly price if they aren’t responsible for it. DUIs are among the most common crime committed on Halloween and most US holidays overall. Thus, if you plan on drinking alcohol, ask a friend or family member to be your designated driver (“DD”) or have a place to sleep for the night.

Vandalism

Halloween pranks are all too common. While they can be amusing and funny, they can also be illegal. Vandalism could include anything from “egging” or TP’ing a person’s house to destroying Halloween decorations, and more. It may not seem like a big deal, but law enforcement will tell you otherwise. As such, we urge you to think twice before vandalizing someone’s property or else you may end up with criminal charges.

Trespassing

Abandoned houses, cemeteries and seemingly “haunted” houses are huge attractions on Halloween, as they entail the “spooky” atmosphere that captures the essence of the holiday. However, trespassing is illegal. Criminal trespassing involves entering and remaining on private or public property without the owner’s consent, and is punishable by harsh fines and prison sentences if convicted. No matter how tempting it may be to confirm if that famous abandoned house is actually haunted, we strongly advise against trespassing onto the property, as a criminal charge may end up haunting you instead.

Kidnapping

We’ve all heard the phrase “don’t talk to strangers,” but Halloween is the exception. The holiday consists of trick-or-treating with strangers to obtain candy from strangers. All while in the dark. Trick-or-treaters are mostly children who flood the streets and sidewalks in search of Halloween candy. Their parents may or may not supervise them, or have trouble identifying their child who is wearing the same costume as others. This is a recipe for a parent’s worst nightmare: Kidnapping. It is best to closely monitor your children and designate a trick-or-treating area to best avoid a kidnapping.

Assault

When alcohol consumption gets out-of-hand or a Halloween prank goes wrong, fights typically break out. However, if someone intentionally causes bodily injury to another, no matter how severe, assault charges will most likely ensue. Assault charges can range from misdemeanors to felonies, both of which involve life-changing fines, prison sentences and criminal records. That being said, our attorneys urge you to refrain from causing or engaging in fights on Halloween. It’s not worth it.

At Gerash Steiner & Blanton, P.C., we understand that Halloween can go wrong in an instant if you are caught in the wrong place at the wrong time. That’s why you can count on us to advocate for your best interests at every stage of the process, no matter how serious your charges are. Turn to our Denver criminal defense lawyer the moment you learn about your charges or an investigation against you so we can begin your defense.

To get started, email us or call now to schedule your free consultation!