Facts:
My client is 21 and goes to Eckerd College. He was out with some friends in downtown St. Petersburg. They were hanging out on the sidewalk all with beers in their hands. A St. Petersburg Police Officer with obviously nothing better to do approached them and told them that they could not drink outside the bar. The boys put down their drinks. But, my client misunderstood and sat down at a table with the beer bottle. He did not understand that he wasn’t allowed outside at all with the drink. The officer walked over to him and arrested him for the open container charge. Although it is only an ordinance violation, the officer took him to the Pinellas County jail and booked him.
The Case:
The fact that this young man got arrested for an open container charge was ridiculous. He hired me to deal with the case. I filed my plea of not guilty and wrote a letter explaining what had happened. I asked for the case to be dropped.
The Result:
The prosecutor called me and agreed that the arrest was an overboard punishment. The offer was to write a letter of apology and the case would be dismissed. My client easily agreed and the case was dropped. It was an unnecessary case, but my client is glad that it is off his record.
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