Have You Been Arrested for Public Intoxication?
If you need a Santa Barbara public intoxication lawyer, contact the Law Offices of William C. Makler. In fact, our EARLY intervention could make all the difference. California Penal Code section 647(f) prohibits being so intoxicated on alcohol and/or drugs, in a public place, that you are not able to care for yourself, or someone else in your care, or if you are obstructing a street or sidewalk (due to your intoxication). This offense is alternately referred to as “Public Intoxication,” “Drunk in Public,” “DIP,” “drunk and disorderly” and “disorderly conduct.”
Often times police officers will look the other way, especially if the person looks as though they will likely make it home safely in spite of their intoxication. In cases where the police feel that the person is at risk (and/or presenting risks to others), for example: alone, lost, disoriented, belligerent, young, elderly, disabled, with dependents, about to drive a vehicle and/or female, they will investigate the offense and possibly arrest or detain the individual, ostensibly, for their safety and/or the safety of others.
California Penal Code section 647(g) allows a peace officer to place someone into civil protective custody in these circumstances as long as the person committed no other crime, is not also under the influence of drugs, provided that there is a sobering facility nearby.
Sobering Centers
The City of Santa Barbara maintains such a sobering facility on Haley Street. Typically, a person is released by the “Sobering Center” staff after about four hours even though they have the lawful authority to keep them detained for longer.
If the detainee protests, or is otherwise unruly and/or in need of medical attention, the police will return and process a criminal arrest under section 647(f). In those cases, the person arrested will generally be prosecuted at a later date in a court of law and, in Santa Barbara, under normal circumstances, will spend anywhere from 12 to 24 hours in the Santa Barbara County Jail before they are released after, most often, signing a “promise to appear” in court.
Being Booked into Jail Creates a Public Record
The booking into jail itself will create public record that will show up in many background investigations and could even end up in a “crime news” site. A booking, however, is not a “finding of guilt” and will not be fairly considered a crime or “criminal record” by most definitions. However, there is little question that a booking alone is a serious set-back for an otherwise law abiding individual. It can definitely be viewed as evidence of an alcohol problem and/or a behavioral problem by anyone conducting a background check (employers, academic institutions, licensing bodies, the government, etc.). You are encouraged to call or email us for a free, no obligation, consultation to find out precisely how this arrest record may be completely wiped out.
Penalties for Public Intoxication
If prosecuted, 647(f) is a misdemeanor thus requiring a mandatory appearance in court by you or your attorney. The maximum penalty is 6 months in jail. On a first offense in South Santa Barbara County, jail, on a stand-alone charge of 647(f), is usually limited to the initial booking and detention. The penalty is usually a fine only (approximately $150). Probation is not usually imposed.
However, as manageable as that may seem, one should never overlook what a misdemeanor conviction is going to do your reputation as a law abiding citizen, your employment present, your employment future, your academic future, your eligibility for immigration benefits (if you’re not a U.S. citizen), your freedom to travel to foreign countries free of worry that you will be excluded or detained/delayed at the border/airport, your existing professional license(s), your potential of becoming professionally licensed in the future, your ability to volunteer at your kids’ schools, your prospects of winning an election for public office and the list goes on. Should you contact us, be sure to ask us to explain why, for most of our clients, there is a huge difference between ending up with a conviction of even an infraction and getting the case dropped or dismissed entirely.
Read more on the topic of public intoxication charges.
Call us now at (805) 892-4922 for a free, no obligation, consultation. Or, if you prefer it, message us and Mr. Makler will get back to you as soon as possible and frequently within a few minutes. Our offices are conveniently located near the Superior Court building.
