# Citizens Arrest for Trespassing ? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\ **Created:** [April 22, 2011, 12:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/citizens-arrest-for-trespassing/579346 "2011-04-22T12:31:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2011, 12:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/citizens-arrest-for-trespassing/579346/1 "2011-04-22T12:31:20Z")
Huzzah, there’s a new Staff Report here: [http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/2993](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/2993) … to be posted on the website on April 26, 2011. The question came from a thread in the “General Questions” forum, back in 2009, which is found here: [Can I do a citizen's arrest on a trespasser? - Factual Questions - Straight Dope Message Board](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=518264) Since that’s a zombie thread, I’ve closed it and suggest that folks post responses in this newer thread. ---
**Author:** ![Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/96bed5/32.png) [@Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patty_O_Furniture)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2011, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/citizens-arrest-for-trespassing/579346/2 "2011-04-22T21:14:35Z")
Just out of curiosity, did two years of research actually go into this? ---
**Author:** ![C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2011, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/citizens-arrest-for-trespassing/579346/3 "2011-04-22T21:49:39Z")
> [@Patty\_O\_Furniture](#): > > Just out of curiosity, did two years of research actually go into this? No, the Staff Report was written some time ago. There’s always been a gap between the time the Staff Report is written and the time it’s posted on the website – they’re not done week-by-week, they’re done well in advance. The editing process has just been a bit [del]wonky[/del] erratic over the last year. ---
**Author:** ![bdgr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a87d85/32.png) [@bdgr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bdgr)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2011, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/citizens-arrest-for-trespassing/579346/4 "2011-04-23T02:32:05Z")
I’ve made citizens arrests. Lots of them. At least one for criminal tresspass. If anyone has any questions about it… ---
**Author:** ![C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2011, 12:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/citizens-arrest-for-trespassing/579346/5 "2011-04-23T12:40:48Z")
Please note that there’s another thread about this Staff Report: [Re: Jehovah's witnesses at the door - Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports - Straight Dope Message Board](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=605775) Since this one deals with the general notion of citizen’s arrest for trespassing, and that one deals specifically with Witnessing, I’m gonna leave them both open. Two different topics, although related to the same staff report. ---
**Author:** ![Lestrade](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/94ad74/32.png) [@Lestrade](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lestrade)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2011, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/citizens-arrest-for-trespassing/579346/6 "2011-04-26T15:46:40Z")
The link to “Can I legally prevent people from putting flyers under my door or on my windshield?” is broken. ---
**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2011, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/citizens-arrest-for-trespassing/579346/7 "2011-04-27T01:39:36Z")
> [@Patty\_O\_Furniture](#): > > Just out of curiosity, did two years of research actually go into this? We type really slow. This post took me over six hours. ---
**Author:** ![Poysyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Poysyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Poysyn)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2011, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/citizens-arrest-for-trespassing/579346/8 "2011-04-28T22:53:15Z")
> [@pravnik](#): > > We type really slow. This post took me over six hours. I love you pravnik - just thought you should know ---
**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2011, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/citizens-arrest-for-trespassing/579346/9 "2011-04-29T02:38:46Z")
> [@Poysyn](#): > > I love you pravnik - just thought you should know Thank you! Love right back to you. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2011, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/citizens-arrest-for-trespassing/579346/10 "2011-05-07T01:47:25Z")
I cannot think of citizens arrests without automatically recalling that old _Andy Griffith_ episode with Gomer Pyle making one on someone making an illegal turn, shouting “Citizen’s array-est! Citizen’s array-est!” endlessly.