Question & AnswerQ&A (Act No. 519)
Vagrancy under Act No. 519 includes persons with no apparent means of subsistence who can work but neglect to do so; those loitering in saloons, gambling houses, or wandering without support; known thieves without lawful means of support loitering in certain places; idle associates of thieves wandering at unusual nighttime hours; idle persons lodging in places without permission; lewd or dissolute persons living near houses of ill fame; common prostitutes and common drunkards.
A person convicted of vagrancy under Act No. 519 shall be punished by a fine not exceeding one hundred dollars, or imprisonment not exceeding one year and one day, or both, at the court's discretion.
Yes, Act No. 519 explicitly includes common prostitutes and common drunkards as types of vagrants subject to punishment.
The act considers a person a vagrant if they have the physical ability to work but neglect to apply themselves to a lawful calling, indicating willful idleness.
Yes, persons loitering around gambling houses without visible or lawful means of support are considered vagrants under this Act.
Idle persons lodging in barns, sheds, outhouses, vessels, or any place not kept for lodging without the owner's permission are considered vagrants under this Act.
Yes, a person known to be a pickpocket, thief, burglar, or ladron by confession or conviction without lawful means of support and found loitering in specific places is considered a vagrant.
Yes, the court has the discretion to impose a fine, imprisonment, or both for the offense of vagrancy.
Act No. 519 took effect upon its passage on November 12, 1902.
The expedited passage was for the public good requiring speedy enactment, following the procedure outlined in an earlier Act prescribing order of procedure by the Commission in enacting laws.