
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SATURDAY, May 19, 1990                   TAG: 9005190185
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: A-5   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: By LAURENCE HAMMACK STAFF WRITER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

JUDGE TOUGH ON TRESPASSER

A Roanoke man was sentenced Friday to 30 days in jail for trespassing at a public housing project - one of the most severe punishments so far in an effort to disperse crowds in areas known for drug dealing.

Raymond Lee Wilkerson, 19, received the term from Roanoke General District Judge George Harris.

The city's Redevelopment and Housing Authority this year adopted a 24-hour no-trespassing policy and erected large signs to notify outsiders of the rule.

The idea was to curb drug-related crime and eliminate disruptive gatherings, especially in areas of the projects that have become the turf of crack dealers.

One of those areas is the 700 block of Hunt Avenue Northwest, where Wilkerson was charged with trespassing about 2 a.m. April 4.

As evidenced by Wilkerson's case, loitering in the projects is often viewed by judges as a more serious offense than a typical trespassing case, which often carries a fine and a warning.

"You didn't know that the 700 block of Hunt Avenue was a crack area?" Harris asked Wilkerson.

"A lot of areas could be crack areas," Wilkerson replied.

Assistant Public Defender John Varney had argued that his client was at a Hunt Avenue apartment complex to visit a friend.

"We all know that the property was posted. But that doesn't take away someone's right to visit a friend there," Varney said.

But as Assistant Commonwealth's Attorney Vaso Tahmin pointed out, police can use discretion in making trespassing arrests - targeting people who seem to be loitering or congregating in large groups.

Wilkerson was not able to name to police the person he was visiting the night he was arrested in a parking lot.

"If a person is going to visit someone in the area, they should be able to identify that person to the police officer," Tahmin said.

A large number of people have been charged with trespassing since the signs were put up, although it was not clear how many. On Friday's court docket alone, 16 people were charged with trespassing.

It was the second time Wilkerson had been charged with trespassing at a housing project. A judge had taken the earlier charge under advisement with a warning for Wilkerson to stay away from the area.

Court officials said that Harris has been especially tough on repeat offenders since the no-trespassing signs were erected.

by CNB