Ocean City Criminal Defense Lawyer

While it is home to less than 10,000 full time residents and has a total area of less than 5 square miles, Ocean City is far from your average American small town. As the only populated beachfront area in Maryland, Ocean City welcomes nearly 8 million visitors each year. Most of these visitors come between May and September, but there are still a fair amount of business and hotels that stay busy throughout the year. As a result of the fluctuating population, policing the town can present unique challenges for the Ocean City Police Department. There are over 115 sworn police officer working for the OCPD and another 30 or so non-sworn members of the force. These officers are responsible for patrol and responding to calls for service during the quiet winter months and when the population swells to over 200,000 people on a given summer weekend. It is during these summer peak times when the large majority of crime and arrests occur.

The police department hires seasonal officers to keep up with demand, and on the especially busy times even brings in outside law enforcement like the Worcester County Sheriff and the Maryland State Police. With so many people in such a small area, tensions can get high at times, which can lead to false arrests and individuals getting involved in situations they did not intend. If you have been arrested or charged with a crime, contact Ocean City criminal defense lawyer Benjamin Herbst anytime for a free consultation. Benjamin has been defending clients in Ocean City for more than 15 years and handles misdemeanors such as DUI, assault and possession of a firearm in the Ocean City District Court, and felonies such as robbery, possession with intent to distribute narcotics and assault in the first degree. He has won court trials in the district court and jury trials in the Worcester County Circuit Court, which is located about 30 minutes away in Snow Hill. Benjamin specializes in representing out of state defendants who are vacationing in Ocean City, and understands that the laws in neighboring states such as Pennsylvania and Virginia are much different than Maryland. This is especially true with regard to gun laws, as Virginia allows non-prohibited persons to drive with a firearm in their vehicle. Ocean City police officers are especially suspicious of drivers from states with more relaxed gun laws, and will often find a way to search these vehicles after making a stop, even if the search was illegal.

The most common crimes during the summer months are alcohol related, with DUI, open container and possession of alcohol by a minor being tops on the lists. Other offenses such as domestic assault, theft and malicious destruction of property are also relatively common during the summer months. Fortunately, there are not a great deal of shootings and other especially violent offenses, but firearm possession is still a common offense with the Maryland gun laws being so strict. Police also issue hundreds of traffic citations in Ocean City for offenses such as driving on a suspended license or driving without a license, reckless driving and special event zone violations such as racing and exhibition driving. Exhibition driving in Ocean City carries the possibility of jail time and is treated seriously by the State and by the judges. Benjamin Herbst is an Ocean City exhibition driving lawyer who has been successful at arguing for the dismissal of these charges as well as other special even zone violations. He extensive experience representing adult and juvenile clients in almost all offenses on the books, and is standing by at 410-207-2598 to answer and legal questions about your case.