Spring Break Trouble in Ocean City: What Happens If You’re Arrested on Vacation?

While Ocean City is generally quiet during autumn and winter, it attracts numerous in-state and out-of-state visitors during spring and summer. Many students at the University of Maryland and colleges across Maryland and Washington, DC, enjoy the warm sunshine and cultural attractions that Ocean City provides. Many families reserve vacation time in Ocean City to enjoy the city’s beaches, the Oceans Calling Festival, and other attractions.

It’s not just the visitor numbers that increase during the summer and spring; there’s a large beach patrol and law enforcement presence throughout Ocean City when the weather is warm. The number of arrests for various crimes, such as underage drinking, DUI/DWI, theft, physical assaults, sexual assault, speeding, juvenile crimes, and other offenses generally rises too. Other reasons someone may be arrested in Ocean City while on vacation include drug charges, disorderly conduct, bad checks, fake IDs, shoplifting, and trespass charges.

Our seasoned criminal defense lawyer helps in-state and out-of-state residents who are charged with crimes while on vacation or while visiting Ocean City. For more than 20 years, we’ve been helping defendants in Maryland who face criminal charges. Our respected criminal defense lawyer is ready to help you now.

Some of the steps you should take if you are arrested for a crime in Ocean City, Maryland

Some of the steps you should take are common to all types of criminal charges. Other steps depend on the specific charge.

• Stay calm. It’s easy to become anxious if you’re arrested for any crime, even in your hometown. When you’re away from home, your anxiety level can rise further because you don’t have friends or family nearby who you might know to call for help. You may have limited funds beyond a credit card. In addition to your vacation being interrupted, you will likely have to return to Ocean City to respond to the criminal charges. As with most stressful situations, you need to take things one step at a time.
• Stay silent. You have the right to remain silent under the Fifth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. You do not have to give evidence against yourself. Don’t assume that you can safely talk your way out of the charges. Anything you say can be used against you.
• Call an experienced criminal defense lawyer. If you’re arrested, you have the right to consult with an attorney and to have counsel represent you during criminal proceedings. We can help you with every stage of your criminal case, including by representing you as soon as you’ve been arrested, at the arraignment, at the bail hearing, and at a preliminary hearing, when applicable under Maryland law. We can also:
  • Meet with you at our office or anywhere you may be detained
  • File motions to suppress evidence
  • Assert your Constitutional, legal, and factual defenses
  • Seek to have the charges dismissed
  • Work to obtain a plea reduction of the charges
  • Select a jury for your case that is going to trial
  • Argue your case before a local judge and jury
  • Represent you at any MVA hearings
• Keep records. Keep any paperwork you receive from law enforcement officials or any court officers. Take notes or pictures of any relevant information, such as the names and contact information of any witnesses.

Our defenses will vary, depending on the specific charges. For example, if you are facing a DUI/DWI charge, we may argue that:

• Your Fourth, Fifth, or Sixth Amendment rights were violated.
• The police officer did not have legal grounds to stop you.
• The police officer did not properly administer or interpret field sobriety tests or breath testing procedures.
• The police officer failed to properly advise you of the consequences of refusing a post-arrest breath test.
• The breath test equipment did not meet acceptable standards.
• The breath test results are inaccurate.
• You have a medical disorder that explains why you may have looked impaired.
• The police cannot prove you were driving.

We can also review, if you have an Ocean City DUI/DWI charge, if you are eligible for any alternative resolutions of your case, such as probation before judgment (PBJ), when legally available.

Some of the things you should avoid doing if you are arrested:

• Don’t post any pictures or text about any aspect of your criminal case on social media.
• Don’t assume that because you don’t live in Ocean City or Worcester County, you can disregard criminal charges.
• Don’t hire a lawyer who doesn’t have experience representing clients in Maryland.
• Don’t drive if the government suspends your license. Be sure to request an MVA hearing within the applicable statutory deadline – generally within 10 days if you want to obtain an automatic stay of suspension before the hearing.
• Do not plead guilty without first speaking with a Maryland criminal defense lawyer.
• Don’t fail to disclose what happened to your defense lawyer. If we represent you, we need to understand everything that happened.

How do we help if you live outside of Ocean City or Maryland

We can arrange to coordinate your criminal hearings and trials that you may have, with an eye towards minimizing the need to return to Ocean City. Please know that, in some cases, you may need to return to Ocean City, depending on the criminal charges and how the resolution of those charges is proceeding.

Please understand that whether you pay a traffic citation to avoid the hassle of coming back to Ocean City or if you fail to face any criminal charges, any conviction may stay on your record in Maryland. Your home state may also be notified of any convictions.

If there are conditions on any plea agreements or court orders, such as attending alcohol counseling courses, we can review what conditions you can meet where you attend school or live and what conditions must be met in Worcester County (the home county of Ocean City).

It does help if students and parents of students who are going on spring break understand that whether they are in Ocean City or anywhere, they are not immune to criminal charges. Likewise, families who vacation in Ocean City should have the contact information and resources they need to seek appropriate help if they face criminal charges.

And remember – Keep Calm and Call Drew.

We understand how stressed you are. If you’re a student, you’re likely worrying about how any criminal charges can affect your student status. If you live out of the county or out of state, you’re likely worrying about how a Maryland lawyer can help you when you return home and whether you’ll need to return to Ocean City.

Contact Drew Cochran, Attorney at Law, today to speak with our lawyer. Our staff is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to answer your questions. We can help you during this difficult time.