What should I do if I was drunk and knocked on the dooe of the wrong house?
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What should I do if I was drunk and knocked on the dooe of the wrong house?
I was intoxicated last night and knocked on the door of a neighbors house instead of my friends I was staying at. I realized I had the wrong house and immediately left without ever entering the house. The owners of the house filed a report with the police as they thought it was an attempted burglary. I must have dropped my phone when leaving and it was given to the police. I tracked it online and the police have it. When I went to retrieve it, they could not release it without the office who filed the report. Can I be charged with anything (attempted burglary, trespassing, etc.)?
Asked on July 2, 2012 under Criminal Law, California
Answers:
Kevin Bessant / Law Office of Kevin Bessant & Associates
Answered 12 years ago | Contributor
I seriously doubt that you will be charged with breaking and entering in this scenario. More than likely the neighbors made a police report stating that someone they did not know was attempting to gain entry into their home. However, there must be evidence that you attempted to actually break into the home, or enter the home without the owner's permission to be charged. A knock on the door, even if you were drunk, does not constitute an attempt to break in and enter.
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