Some of the very best spring break memories are made right here on the beautiful white beaches of Bay, Walton, Okaloosa and Santa Rosa counties. Sadly, so are some of the worst. We have received numerous calls this year from parents of spring break students who need our help. This made us wonder how many arrests have been made since spring break began just two weeks ago. We checked the Bay County Jail arrest records for the month of March and discovered there have already been over 900 arrests in Bay County and we are only just beginning. We also contacted both the Bay County Sheriff’s Office and the Panama City Beach Police Department to find out how many officers are staffed during spring break. From the best we could tell, both offices nearly triple their normal patrol efforts, often bringing in officers from other counties on a temporary assignment. We further researched what laws spring break students are charged with, or arrested for, violating most often on Panama City Beach. Possession of narcotics seems to be one of the major offenses the officers are citing.
These are just some of the actual felony and/or misdemeanor drug possession charges that have been made in Panama City, or on Panama City Beach, over these first few weeks of spring break:
- Heroin possession Schedule 1
- Possession of Meth (crystal, ice, glass, tweak, crank) with intent to sell, manufacture or deliver
- Marijuana (weed) possession, not more than 20 grams
- Possession of a new legend drug without a prescription. A legend drug is a drug that requires a prescription. This can be a controlled narcotic or a non-narcotic, such as Viagra.
- Possession of a controlled substance (examples include Xanax, Fentanyl (Duragesic), Hydrocodone, Oxycodone (OxyContin), Dilaudid, Darvon, Demerol, Lomotil) without a prescription
- Cocaine possession Schedule 2
- Synthetic Narcotic Schedule 1 or 2
Due to drug laws put in place to curtail drugs being imported into Florida from out of state and even out of the country, Florida has some of the strictest drug laws in the nation. If you or a loved one is facing drug charges in Panama City, FL, you need an experienced defense lawyer working to protect your rights. We at The Morris Law Firm will work hard to minimize, if not eliminate, the negative effects of these charges on your future.
Contact The Morris Law Firm – A Criminal Defense Attorney who Puts Clients First
Attorney Dana Morris is a Panama City criminal defense lawyer who, as a former prosecutor, has had great success in winning criminal cases in Florida. If you or a loved one have been arrested for drugs or drug possession in Panama City and need the assistance of a Panama City criminal law attorney, do not hesitate to contact The Morris Law Firm. We’re available to answer our calls 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Call us now if you need us, (850) 257-5680. Starting with a free consultation with an attorney from our firm, we’ll help get you through this difficult time.