Arrested While Visiting St. Augustine?
What Out-of-Town Defendants Need to Know
St. Augustine draws millions of visitors a year, and a small percentage of them leave with a criminal charge instead of a souvenir. A disorderly conduct arrest on St. George Street, a DUI on the way back to a Vilano Beach rental, or a possession charge after a traffic stop on A1A creates a problem that follows you home. The case stays in St. Johns County. You do not.
You Will Have Court Dates Here
A criminal case in St. Augustine is handled in the St. Johns County courthouse, and the court expects you to appear. For a misdemeanor, Florida law generally allows an attorney to appear on your behalf at most hearings, including arraignment and pretrial conferences, so that you do not have to fly back for every date. For a felony, personal appearance is usually required at certain stages. Either way, the difference between a case that is resolved in a few months and one that drags on for a year often comes down to whether you have local counsel who can handle the logistics.
Missing a Court Date Is Worse Than the Original Charge
If you fail to appear, the judge will issue a warrant. That warrant enters national databases and can result in your arrest during a routine traffic stop in your home state, followed by extradition back to Florida. It will also revoke your bond. A tourist defendant who simply goes home and ignores the citation often turns a minor charge into a much larger problem.
Your Home State License Is Affected
If the charge is DUI or another driving offense, Florida will report the outcome to your home state through the interstate compact, and your home state will generally impose its own consequences as if the offense had occurred there. The 10-day deadline to challenge the administrative suspension applies to out-of-state drivers just as it does to Florida residents. Resolving the case favorably in St. Augustine is the only way to limit what follows you home.
Options That May Be Available
Many first-time visitors with minor charges qualify for diversion or pretrial intervention in St. Johns County, which can result in dismissal after completing conditions such as community service or a class. Some of those conditions can be completed in your home state with court approval. If the case was dismissed or resolved with a withhold of adjudication, it may later be eligible for sealing or expungement, though that requires a separate petition in Florida.
Why Local Counsel Matters
The judges, prosecutors, and diversion programs in St. Johns County are specific to this circuit. A lawyer in your home state cannot appear here and cannot tell you how the local State Attorney’s Office treats a given charge. Our attorneys prosecuted in this circuit before defending here, and we handle tourist defendant cases with the goal of resolving them efficiently, often without a return trip.
Contact a St. Augustine Criminal Defense Lawyer
If you were arrested while visiting St. Augustine, call Albaugh Law Firm at 904-471-3434 before you leave Florida if possible, or as soon as you get home. Consultations are free and can be handled by phone. Visit our St. Augustine criminal lawyer page to learn more.
