Tuesday, June 19, 2012

Open Container Violation Now A Criminal Matter In OC

Drink a beer, go to jail...

OCEAN CITY -- Ocean City officials last night approved an emergency ordinance changing the town’s open container law back from a civil infraction to a criminal violation.

At the request of Police Chief Bernadette DiPino, the Ocean City Mayor and Council on Monday approved an ordinance to return the town’s open container law back to a criminal violation. For years, a violation of Ocean City’s open container law for alcoholic beverages in public areas was a criminal violation and often resulted in an arrest.

In 2008, the town relaxed its open container law, changing it to a municipal infraction typically resulting in a citation and a prepaid fine. On Monday, however, at the request of DiPino, the Ocean City Council approved an ordinance reverting the open container law back to a criminal violation, essentially allowing OCPD officers to make arrests or write criminal citations for an open container of alcohol.

Oh well, time to move to Key West...read the rest of the article here.


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