Panama City Beach is a Spring Break hotspot for thousands of visitors each year. The snow-white sands of the beach; the emerald-green waters; the sunny, warm Florida weather; and all the fun and energy that thousands of Spring Breakers bring with them when they descend upon a beach town welcomes them with open arms.
The one thing that could put a damper on all of the good times that Panama City Beach offers to Spring Breakers is winding up handcuffed in the back of a police car. Being arrested far from home on Spring Break is traumatic and embarrassing. Many Spring Breakers simply enter a plea so they can be released from jail without so much as a thought as to what having a criminal record will mean and how it will affect their prospects for the future (employment, graduate school admissions, ability to get a professional license, military service, etc.), not to mention any disciplinary action taken by the school they currently attend.
Further, the sentence for some of the most common Spring Break criminal offenses can be harsh. For example, a marijuana conviction will cause your driver's license to be suspended for two years (and yes, chances are your home state will honor Florida's suspension). Possession of a Controlled Substance (such as cocaine or methamphetamine) as well as possession of medication without a prescription such as Alprazolam (Xanex), Oxycodone (OxyContin, Percocet, Roxicodone), and Hydrocodone (Loritab) are felonies with potentially severe, life-altering consequences that can include prison time. Another common arrest during Spring Break is for Resisting an Officer. This can occur for something as simple as not obeying a law enforcement officer's directions in the crowded chaos of Front Beach Road ("The Strip"). If you have any physical contact with an officer while not obeying commands or obstructing the officer, you may be charged with Resisting an Officer with Violence, which is a felony charge.
When you find yourself handcuffed in the back of that police car, or have a friend or family member who has been arrested, it is important to hire an experienced and knowledgeable criminal defense attorney who will work to attain the best possible result. If you have been arrested, or are the parent of someone who has been arrested, call Shepard Law's 24/7 Emergency Hotline for a free consultation. Mr. Shepard is a former Assistant State Attorney (prosecutor) who has spent his entire legal career handling criminal cases in the Panama City area.
Mr. Shepard handles many Spring Break criminal offences every year and the team at Shepard Law will work hard toward "making it go away" (i.e. the case, felony or misdemeanor, resolved without a conviction and then expunged). In most instances, Mr. Shepard is able to resolve Spring Break criminal offenses without the defendant having to come back to Panama City and appear in court.
Mr. Shepard is currently the President of the Bay County Chapter of the Florida Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers ("Bay County Criminal Defense Bar") and has handled literally thousands of cases in the Panama City area over the course of his career. Call today for a free case evaluation.