Spring break. What a great time to be kid. We all have memories of those trips to the beach and all the great times we had. Well, times have a changed and if your high school and college students are going to Gulf Shores, Alabama or Orange Beach, Alabama there are a few things you need to know.
First. You need to know that during the months of March and April, Gulf Shores and Orange Beach become a “Zero tolerance” destination. What I mean by that is there will be no tolerance for misbehaving, underage drinking–or drinking at all on the Gulf Beaches. Even if you are an adult, the beaches are off limits to drinking alcohol during these months. See this recent article with information from local law enforcement at AL.com.
In February, the city of Gulf Shores issued an open letter, detailing what is and is not allowed this year. Shortly after the Gulf Shores letter, Orange Beach issued a letter of their own. I would advise your children to read both letters closely, as the two cities are drawing a line in the sand, no pun intended.
This recent change, in an otherwise beach “vacancy” sign, has come on the heels of Panama City Beach’s issues with college spring breakers. As Panama City became more strict, many of those same students invaded Gulf Shores and Orange Beach. Needless to say, those cities were not ready. In the 4 week period associated with Spring Break 2016, The Orange Beach police department reported arresting 770 individuals, with most of those being under-aged drinking.
So, the question is, what do I do if my child is arrested? The answer is simple, call our law office, DarleyLaw, LLC. We are very aware of the municipal laws of both Orange Beach and Gulf Shores. We are a practice that is 100% criminal defense and that is what you need in this kind of situation.
But, here is some advice you can give your children, just in case the unfortunate event happens.
- Stay calm and be polite. Being belligerent and disrespectful only makes matters worse. Keep in mind, there are thousands of kids that are in a small area for a short amount of time. These police officers are doing the best they can to control these situations.
- Follow the instructions of the officer. Trying to talk your way out of something often makes it worse.
- Make sure your child has the number to our office. The quicker your child has legal representation, the better.
- Be prepared for an overnight stay. If your child is intoxicated, there is no way he or she will be released while they are still deemed to be a danger to the public.
In the end, the best advice you can give your children is to behave. If they are under age, do not drink. The police are looking for underage drinkers. If they are over 21, just be smart about it. You can have a lot of fun without being drunk and you can remember it!
If you need any legal advice or would like to speak to us about a case, then call our office today. Our contact information is: DarleyLaw, LLC, and we represent clients all over south Alabama, with a focus in Mobile and Baldwin Counties. Our phone number is 251- 441-7772.
The Alabama State Bar requires this language:
“No representation is made that the quality of legal services provided is greater than the quality of legal services to be provided by other lawyers.”