What really happens when you are evicted. An eviction is a process to dispossess you from your rental unit. It starts when you break a rule, don't pay the rent or the lease expires, and ends when three burly guys using cheap plastic trash bags dump all your stuff on the sidewalk.
Eviction is something that takes time because in most places due process of law is required.
So while most lawsuits can take months and years, an eviction can take days or weeks. Nonetheless, it requires the process of law. As far as I can tell, a court order must be obtained in every state in the country before you can physically be removed. In most places, the sheriff is involved in the physical removal, but in some jurisdictions the landlord can do the job after obtaining the proper papers. This means the landlord cannot just self-help him or herself to your ouster or lockout.