Spring is here, and that means it’s the season for many college students to head south for a week of fun in the sun. Taking a trip with your roommates to Panama City Beach or Cancun can be a blast, but oftentimes it can also lead to criminal charges. Today, we take a look at five of the most common spring break crimes.
Spring Break and Crime
Whether you’re heading to south or just hanging on campus for a week, here’s a look at five of the most commonly committed crimes while classes are off for a week.
1. Public Intoxication – A citation for public intoxication is the most common crime committed in a lot of spring break destinations. Last year in South Padre Island, police handed out almost as many tickets for public intoxication in the month of March as they did in the other 11 months combined! Just because you’re of age doesn’t mean you can be a drunken nuisance.
2. Underage Drinking/Possession of a Fake ID – Spring break is a time for all students to get away for a week, but not every student is over the age of 21. If you head to any popular party destination, odds are the cops are going to be on the lookout for underage drinkers. Your fake ID may work at your campus grocery store, but a cop in Panama City isn’t going to be fooled. If you’re underage and you try to pass off a fake ID, you can be hit with a slew of charges.
3. Disorderly Conduct – This is another common crime that happens when things get a little out of hand. Whether it’s being obnoxious after hours in your hotel room or refusing to leave a club after security asks you to leave, you can find yourself cited for disorderly conduct in a hurry. You might get off with a warning in Minnesota, but authorities in popular spring break destinations don’t often have a high tolerance for stupid actions, and they may skip the warning altogether.
4. Trespassing – You can be ticketed for trespassing for refusing to leave a nightclub or bar after you’ve been kicked out, but you can also be cited for being in any closed location after hours. If a beach is closed at 9 p.m., a midnight swim might land you in trouble. If you know you’re somewhere you shouldn’t be, leave, or you might end up with a trespassing charge.
5. Possession of a Controlled Substance – Drug possession in another state can be a huge headache. Don’t just assume you can leave Florida or Texas and ignore the charge, because it won’t just go away on its own. Drug charges can make it extremely difficult to find a job or apply for housing, so you shouldn’t just go looking for drugs in a foreign city. A stupid decision can have a huge impact on your life, even after you leave your destination.
In the end, some of the above charges may not seem like a big deal, but as we mentioned in the last point, the charges won’t just disappear if you leave the state. They can follow you home and spiral into a bigger mess if ignored. Even if the crime occurred in another state, it’s worth talking with a Minnesota Criminal Defense attorney about your options to ensure your future isn’t bogged down by a spring break mistake.
