Arrested while on vacation in Myrtle Beach SC? Here’s what you should do next

Visitors to the Grand Strand come from all over to see everything Myrtle Beach has to offer, including the Carolina Country Music Festival which happens this weekend.

The Carolina Country Music Festival, which began Thursday, is known for three days of partying and music.

But when the partying goes wrong, vacationers could find themselves in trouble with the law quickly.

The week of CCMF is one of the busiest weeks of the year for local defense attorney Stephen Grooms.

“Without question, the week of CCMF is our biggest week of the summer in terms of municipal court and magistrate court level offenses,” he said.

The most common charges for vacationers are usually drug or alcohol related. That includes public intoxication and possession of drugs. Another common charge is unlawful carry, because South Carolina requires a handgun to be in a secured compartment.

The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) often works festivals such as CCMF to look out for underage drinking as well.

The best thing you can do for yourself, even if you get charged, is to be polite and respectful to law enforcement, according to Grooms.

“The cities are not here to ruin your good time,” he said.

But it can still be a shock to be charged when you are out of state. There are several different agencies and court systems within Horry County, from the Sheriff’s Department to each city’s own police force.

For example, an Horry County police officer could be standing five feet away from a Myrtle Beach police officer arresting someone, Grooms said.

But which agency and which court to go to will be listed on your charging documents. The Myrtle Beach Municipal Court and North Myrtle Beach Municipal Court are going to be the busiest this weekend for the Carolina Country Music Festival, Grooms said.

You got charged while on vacation. What next?

If you do get charged, the Horry County Solicitor’s Office offers programs that can be completed from anywhere in the country and can result in getting your charges dismissed, depending on what the offense was.

Tiffany Lee, the director of the Solicitor’s Intervention Programs, said that the Solicitor’s Office works alongside SLED agents to give people the information they need during CCMF.

“We help them to find places, wherever they are, to accomplish the program requirements and successfully complete,” she said. “Completion from a diversion program result in a dismissal of a ticket.”

But entrance into a diversion program is not an admission of guilt nor is it considered a plea.

While participating in a diversion program, the active case remains pending.

It’s also always a good rule to know your surroundings and know the law where you are vacationing.

South Carolina has liquor laws that are different from other vacation hot-spots in the U.S. It’s also a state where use of marijuana is still widely illegal.

“Knowing your surroundings is key,” Grooms said.