Gasparilla Open Container Citation in Tampa? What You Need to Know

This article was last updated on Friday, January 25, 2019.

If you were arrested or given a “notice to appear” for the city ordinance of being in possession of an open container at the Gasparilla Parade in Tampa, FL, then contact an experienced criminal defense attorney at the Sammis Law Firm.

We represent people arrested or charged with a crime in Tampa, FL. The most common arrests associated with the Gasparilla Parade in 2018 include possession of an open container, underage possession of alcohol, public intoxication, disorderly conduct, assault, battery, boating under the influence and driving under the influence.

Call us at 813-250-0500 to discuss your case. Our attorneys are on call this weekend. We can explain the best ways to fight the case. For an open container citation, we help our clients fight for an outright dismissal of the charge.

Any criminal accusation, even for a city ordinance, comes with serious consequences which include a criminal record.

The City Ordinance Violation is Comparable to a Second Degree Misdemeanor

Keep in mind that there are important reasons to fight the citation. For most purposes, a violation of the city ordinance is treated the same as a second degree misdemeanor under state law.

In fact, the city ordinance violation for open container is punishable by a $500 fine and 60 days in jail. Additionally, regardless of whether you are convicted of a state felony charge, or a misdemeanor, or a city ordinance, a conviction will prevent you from ever being able to seal or expunge a criminal record.

Other collateral or indirect consequences for a violation of Tampa’s open container city ordinance can occur, and these indirect consequences can last longer after the fine and court costs are paid.

If you are found guilty or enter a plea to the offense, the potential punishment is a fine of up to $500, 60 days in jail, and/or up to six months of probation.

For individuals with no prior record, many of these cases are resolved through a diversion program offered by the State Attorney’s Office that allows you to voluntarily enter a program while you complete a myriad of conditions including paying money, completing community service hours, reporting to the Salvation Army on a monthly basis during the diversionary period which can last for 6 months.

Most of our clients have no interest in being supervised in a diversion program and would rather fight for an outright dismissal.

If you successfully fight the allegations, you may be able to avoid these serious direct and indirect consequences.

Years with the Highest Number of Open Container Cases

More than 1,400 officers, many with the Tampa Police Department, patrolled the 2010 Gasparilla parade. At the end of the day, more than 400 arrests were made. Although the crowd was down by 50% over prior years, the number of arrests were up 300% over prior years.

Open Container Outside the “Wet-Zone”

The majority of those “arrests” were people who were only detained long enough for the officer to issue a citation violating the Tampa City Ordinance against the possession of alcohol outside a designated area around the parade route.

The designated area that was “wet-zoned” included Bayshore Boulevard from the water to the outside curb of the southbound lanes.

Individuals without a Local Address Were Arrested and Booked into the Jail

For those individuals who did not have a local address, they were actually arrested and booked into the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office detention center before being given the opportunity to post a cash bond of $250.

According to announcements made by the Tampa Police Department before the event, no one was allowed to bring their own alcohol to the parade.

These rules against bringing alcohol to the parade were selectively enforced. Most people got into the parade with outside alcohol without any problem.

The Tampa Police Department also announced that all alcohol had to be purchased from vendors on the parade route. Once you bought alcohol from the vendor, you were not allowed to carry it outside the wet-zoned area.

Contesting the Open Container Violation

Do you really need an attorney for this type of county ordinance? The answer depends on your particular circumstances.

Some people want to fight the citation on principle because they disagree with the law and the way it was enforced in their particular case. Others want the prosecutor to drop the charge against them so that they do not have to admit to any violation or pay a fine.

Many people may decide to fight the city ordinance on constitutional grounds or by raising “as applied” challenges. For some people, they are “not guilty” because they were cited for possession even though they were on private property at the time and had permission from the resident to be on the property.

Even if you do not think you have a great defense, talk with an attorney about how difficult it may be for the prosecutor to prove the case.

Selective Enforcement Ends Up Targeting Only Individuals Willing to Cooperate with Police

The Tampa police officers were taking samples of the alcohol from each person cited. I have heard a lot of stories about how the Tampa police would rush towards a crowd, and everyone who poured out the drink before the officer could stop them were not cited, while the few citizens who followed the officer’s instructions to freeze were rewarded with the citation or arrest.

Other people were not cited at all because they did not have a local address and the police were not in the mood to actually arrest the person. The way the Tampa Police Department singles people out demonstrates the problems with “selective enforcement.”

City of Tampa Code of Ordinances, Chapter 3, Alcoholic Beverages, Article IV, Section 3-40, prohibits possession of open containers of alcoholic beverages outside of licensed premises.

Sec. 3-40. – Consumption and possession of open containers on streets, sidewalks, alleys and other public property.

(a) It is unlawful for any person to consume, assist or aid another to consume any alcoholic beverage upon any street, sidewalk, alley or other public property within the city.

(b) It is unlawful for any person to possess an open container of an alcoholic beverage upon any street, sidewalk, alley or other public property, including public or semi-public parking lots, within the city.

(1) As used in subsection (b), “open container” means any vessel or container containing an alcoholic beverage, including beer or wine, which is immediately capable of consumption or the seal of which has been broken.

(2) An open container shall be considered to be in the possession of the person if the container is in the physical control of such person.

(c) Subsections (a) and (b) do not apply when:

(1) The street, connecting sidewalk or alley has been officially temporarily closed upon application to the director of public works and the approval of the city council for the purpose of a block party as provided in this Code, or

(2) A portion of a sidewalk has been leased and permitted as a sidewalk cafe as provided for in Chapter 22 of this Code, or

(3) Public property has been zoned and permitted for the sale of alcoholic beverages pursuant to law, or

(4) A portion of the street, connecting sidewalk or alley has been marked and/or designated as a crossing for a public golf course.
(Ord. No. 99-229, § 1, 10-28-99; Ord. No. 2007-19, § 2, 2-1-07)

The penalty for a violation of the open container city ordinance in Tampa is provided in the penalty Section 1-6(a).

Sec. 1-6. – General penalty.

(a) Code violations—Fine and/or imprisonment and/or probation. It is unlawful for any person to violate or fail to comply with any provision of this Code and, where no specific penalty is provided therefor, the violation of any provision of this Code shall be punished by a fine not exceeding five hundred dollars ($500.00) and/or imprisonment for a term not exceeding sixty (60) days and/or a term of probation not to exceed six (6) months, as set forth in section 1-6.1 or by both such fine and imprisonment. Each day any violation of any provision of this Code shall continue shall constitute a separate offense.

Click here to read the details of Tampa City Ordinances.

Click here to read more about criminal charges for young people arrested for possession of alcohol who are under the age of 21.

We also wrote an article on the BUI arrest at Gasparilla.

How many citations for open container will be issued for the 2018 Gasparilla Parade? Each year the numbers fluctuate wildly. If you were arrested at Gasparilla or received a notice to appear, contact an experienced attorney at the Sammis Law Firm to discuss the best way to resolve the case.

Call 813-250-0500.

6 comments

  1. i WAS DOING A SEARCH AND YOUR SITE CAME UP AND IT MENTIONS A SHORT PIECE ABOUT LIFETIME REVOCATION FOR HABITUAL OFFENDERS. DOES THIS PERTAIN TO DUI LIFETIME REVOCATION? PLEASE LET ME KNOW BECAUSE WHEN I CLICKED TO THE SITE IT SAID NOTHING ABOUT IT. I WOULD APPRECIATE HEARING FROM YOU.

    1. Frank, is that you my old friend? If you recognize my name, please email me, I’ve been looking for you. Greg didn’t know where you were and none of my sisters has seen you for a while. Please contact me if you are my dear old friend.

  2. PLEASE LET ME KNOW ABOUT LIFETIME REVOCATION FOR DUI. IS THERE ANYTHING YOU CAN TELL ME ABOUT GETTING A DRIVERS LICENSE BACK AFTER A LIFETIME REVOCATION IF YOU CAN SHOW REHABILITATION, AS IN 7 YEARS OF SOBRIETY AND PROOF OF A CHANGED LIFESTYLE.

  3. I got a ticket for being a block from parade…THANKS TAMPA POLICE…DIDNT FEEL LIKE ARRESTING THE OUT OF TOWNERS BECAUSE YOU DIDNT HAVE ANY TIME…I WONT BE SUPPORTING THIS EVEN NEXT YEAR AND NEITHER WILL THE 150 OTHER PEOPLE THAT WHERE WITH ME OR MORE OF TAMPA FOR THAT MATTER..

    1. I’ve heard that too. Once the police found out the individual was from out of the area they just let them go because the Tampa Police Department officers did not have time to make the formal arrest. So only the locals got the citations. And the judges and prosecutors are bending over backward to throw these out. So what is the point of it?

  4. I recieved an open container citation less than 60 seconds of leaving a merchant location I wasnt even off the property of the store as a consumer i complained to the management about being profiled and wrote a grievence againt the officers who served the citiation I have a fine of 163.00 or I guess i face other penalities if i do not pay I am willing to say not guilty but dont want to face jail time I’m certain they had bad intentions and wrote that ticket out of malice with a sabatoge mentality and the zoning law of the store wouldnt be public property until i get to the sidewalk right please help Jason Florida citizen

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