Vagrancy, << VAY gruhn see. >> A person who wanders from place to place, and who lives in idleness and without any settled home, is called a vagrant, or vagabond. Most states of the United States have laws against vagrancy, based on the idea that a vagrant has “no visible means of support” and may become a public charge. Vagrancy is often considered a way of life or lifestyle. But a person can also be charged with vagrancy for a single act. Usually, a person arrested for vagrancy is charged with a misdemeanor, which could result in a jail sentence, a fine, or both. Law enforcement officers often arrest beggars and criminals as vagrants. But because many vagrancy laws do not specify the activities that make up vagrancy, many of the laws have been declared unconstitutional by state and federal courts.
