Facts:
My client and her friend were at a beach bar on St. Pete Beach. The bartender started giving my client an attitude and my client made a smart-aleck remark to her. Needless to say, the comment made the bartender mad and she asked my client to leave the bar. While my client was paying the tab, the bartender called the police to have her removed.
Before the police arrived, my client and her friend drove off. A deputy with the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office followed the car and stopped it. The deputy began to investigate the bartender’s report from the beach bar. My client started walking away and she was tackled and arrested for disorderly conduct (from the beach bar) and resisting or obstructing an officer (for walking away). She was taken to the Pinellas County Jail and then bonded out.
The Case:
After I was hired, I looked into the lawfulness of the arrest by the officer. There was an argument that since he did not witness the alleged disorderly conduct, he could not arrest her. I then put together a package and sent it to the prosecutor. My client had no prior record and had an impressive background. She held multiple professional licenses that were in jeopardy if the charge was filed. I sent the packet to the prosecutor and asked for all charges to be dropped.
The Result:
Just over a month after the arrest, both misdemeanor charges were dropped. My client was thrilled and now can get her record expunged.
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