Summer is out, full of heat and overwhelming humidity, and with the temperature rising, so is the number of court cases. Suppose you’ve ever wondered what could land you in court, or want to find what you should avoid doing to skip out on landing yourself in court. Nobody wants to spend their summer fighting off a legal battle when they could be on the beach instead.
1. Hitchhiking
This mode of transit has fallen out of style since the 1980s. Still, there are occasions when you’ll see someone on the side of the road begging for a ride, or when you need a ride and have no means to get one. Hitchhiking is illegal in all but five states, so take care to check local laws before giving any strangers a lift. This hitchhiking law is in place for your protection, after all.
2. Car Accidents
Warm summer air means more people will be out and about. Summer is the most substantial time of year for car crashes of all kinds. These crashes, sometimes including more than two vehicles, are quick to end up in court. Whether you need a motorcycle accident attorney to make sure you get what you deserve from a crash- or are in court trying to defend that your Winnebago didn’t hit a sign, at least most courts are air-conditioned to cool you off.
3. Child Custody
This problem may not immediately pop to mind when you think of reasons for going to court, but it’s a big reason for tension. During the summer, divorced couples have to deal with each other more than usual, and there can be fights over who gets the children when. Often this ends with a court date.
4. Trespassing
This problem is often an accidental crime committed by tourists. Walking down a beach, or through the woods, and ending up on private property can quickly get you in trouble for trespassing. If you’re unlawfully on someone’s land, they may try to drag you to court.
5. Open Bottles of Alcohol
The reason this is illegal may be more evident than the others. Carrying around open bottles of alcohol is a far more common occurrence in summer than in the colder months. People want a cool refreshing drink to ease out of the summer heat- and end up with a court case to prove they weren’t trying to be a menace.
6. Starting Fires
These can be innocent campfires that get out of hand or rowdy teenagers who are causing trouble- but in summer, fires are no joke. Drier nature means a higher chance the flames will spread and wreak havoc. If you start a fire and it causes significant damage, you could be held liable for the expenses, and possibly have to do jail time.
7. Fireworks
America loves fireworks in the summer for obvious reasons. The laws surrounding fireworks change state to state and county to county depending on what the consensus is. Even buying fireworks in one city and bringing it into another can be grounds or arrest.