No one ever plans on being arrested, but we are only human, and we all make mistakes from time to time. If you have been arrested, you still have rights and legal options that are worth exploring with a West Palm Beach criminal defense lawyer.
Prison or Probation?
Working with a West Palm Beach criminal defense lawyer can mean the difference between prison or probation. Find out more about probation law here, and what it could mean for you if you aren’t careful…
Download a PDF version of 5 possible ways to get arrested this year.
Here we have outlined the top five reasons for an arrest—ridiculous or not—and what you can do to avoid them, and what to do even if you are arrested:
The Top 5 Reasons for an Arrest
1. Drinking and Driving – This is one of the more obvious reasons for an arrest—and one of the most common. In fact, according to Alcohol Alert, there were 818 fatalities due to alcohol-related accidents in Florida in 2012 alone.
The worst part is that drinking and driving is 100 percent avoidable, yet people still choose to drink and drive. But the state of Florida is on alert, and is cracking down on catching drunk drivers in the act.
DUI checkpoints are increasingly common, especially earlier in the year. Therefore, if you do think about drinking, you may also want to line up a designated driver to avoid being arrested.
2. Public Urination – This is up there on the list of ridiculous reasons for an arrest, but it is more common than one might think. The fact is that urinating publicly is considered a criminal offense. Public urination can also be charged as a sex offense depending on whom you expose yourself to as this is considered “indecent exposure”.
Read more about what is considered indecent exposure here.
3. Bar Fights – If you plan to go out and celebrate any type of holiday or occasion at a local bar, drama and/or fighting can occur—especially with alcohol involved. You can get arrested for fighting in a bar or club regardless of the circumstances of that fight.
4. Disorderly Conduct – Being intoxicated can lead to other offensive behaviors. For example, if you are in the middle of the street in a quiet neighborhood being loud and obnoxious at 3:00am, you could be arrested for disorderly conduct or even public intoxication.
Police officers will not care how much you have had to drink either – if you appear as though you are intoxicated, they could arrest you for such behavior.
Read more about Florida laws on disorderly conduct.
5. Insulting Police Officers – While insulting a police officer isn’t a crime per se, it definitely won’t help your situation. It will likely make matter worse, and could even be used against you later if criminal charges are brought against you.
So if you are approached by the police or pulled over, stay calm and avoid conflict—even if you don’t agree with their actions or what they say. Leave the “argument” part up to an experienced West Palm Beach criminal defense lawyer.
Visit here for more information on what could happen if you insult a police officer.
An arrest might be a mistake…but contacting a West Palm Beach criminal defense lawyer isn’t one…
To avoid worrying about what happens after an arrest, you can easily avoid an arrest altogether. And when you need an experienced criminal defense lawyer in West Palm Beach, one will always be available.
Visit here for more information on finding a West Palm Beach criminal defense lawyer.
