Okay, I have googled, asked and yahoo'd to attempt to find out what the punishment for Criminal Trespass is- all I have been able to find is "maximum of $2,000.00 and 180 days in jail" I want to know what the minimum is for it- if certain circumstances warrant a higher fee/jail time than other... I am 26 and have not been in trouble before in my life- and we were using the hot tub just sitting there- not being noisy, not doing anything dirty (or naughty if you prefer) no intent to steal or vandalize-- and on a normal day-- I'm pretty dull... not even a speeding ticket.

*sigh* Get stupid one night and pay, right?

If there is no minimum its up to the judge's discretion. So I gather you were using someone else's hot tub without their permission. I would expect the judge to give you probation for a first offense. Maybe restitution for the water and electricity used.

Okay, I have googled, asked and yahoo'd to attempt to find out what the punishment for Criminal Trespass is- all I have been able to find is "maximum of $2,000.00 and 180 days in jail" I want to know what the minimum is for it- if certain circumstances warrant a higher fee/jail time than other... I am 26 and have not been in trouble before in my life- and we were using the hot tub just sitting there- not being noisy, not doing anything dirty (or naughty if you prefer) no intent to steal or vandalize-- and on a normal day-- I'm pretty dull... not even a speeding ticket.

*sigh* Get stupid one night and pay, right?
Thank you, Scott :)

I will let you know if it does... I don't even know if the place is going to press charges yet (this only happened two night ago- no word yet) *but* I wanted to know what I was looking at if they did. The cop did not give us a ticket or any paperwork whatsoever, just took our information- ran our name through the system and told us that if he ever saw us back there he would take us to jail and that this time he would give our information to the apartment complex and if they wanted to press charges than we'd here from them.

From your second post it sounds like it's a case of "wait until you hear from them" before you jump to conclusions. You did not get a ticket! Maybe, maybe you will never hear from them again. I know you have more sense than to ever go back there uninvited into their hot tub.

The cop was being nice. Probably saw a couple of kids on a lark, and just chased them. I think it highly unlikely you will hear anymore about it.

Well it being Texas, most likely you should feel lucky someone just did not shoot you for tresspassing

But a lot will depend on what you were doing, and why,
If this apartment complex is known for drug traffic and the apartment complex is trying to crack down, they may press charges,
If there has been a lot of vadalism by teens and you were there when you should not be, most likely they will press charges

No often they will merely have a criminal tresspas warning issued so that if you go to that area again you will be arrested with a warning on file.
** so no real record will exist.

My own opinion, they did not even give the names to the apartment complex and laughed and told the story how they scared some kids that night