2022 Coachella Music Festival Arrests
Arrested at Coachella?
Call Coachella Music Festival Criminal Defense Attorney Joseph T. Rhea, A Local Attorney for Over 10 Years
Since 1999, the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival – now commonly known as "Coachella" or the "Coachella Festival" – has grown to be one of the most recognized and anticipated music festivals in the nation. It has also come to be known as a hotbed of very aggressive police activity and sees many arrests every year. Many Coachella arrests are for public intoxication, driving under the influence and the unlawful use of handicap placards. Local law enforcement also run undercover stings targeting concert goers for arrest for drug possession and sales. Most simple possession offenses are now misdemeanors, but furnishing drugs remains a felony, and every year undercover police solicit dozens of hand-to-hand sales, followed by felony arrests.
All criminal cases from the Coachella Music Festival are heard in the Superior Court in Indio, California. Attorney Rhea has defended cases in Indio since 2004, first as a public defender and then in private practice. He has had many cases dismissed because of illegal searches. This is something peculiar to Coachella: because there are so many arrests, the police often become overly aggressive to comply with the Fourth and Fifth Amendments.
CALL (760) 322-3001 IF ARRESTED
In 2019, nearly 100 people were arrested during the first weekend of the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. Eighty-six of the 99 arrests were for drug- and alcohol-related offenses.
Despite major changes in California drug law, well over 100 arrests have been at the Coachella Music Festival in Indio every single year since 2012. The majority of all of these arrests were drug- and/or alcohol-related. Law enforcement is onsite, often undercover, searching for fake IDs, drug possession, drug sales and the unlawful use of handicap placards.
Contact a Coachella Music Festival Criminal Defense Lawyer
The Law Office of Joseph T. Rhea is in downtown Palm Springs and provides outstanding criminal defense representation for visitors, tourists, Indio residents and Coachella attendees. Criminal defense attorney Joseph T. Rhea knows how law enforcement at times engages in entrapment at the Coachella Festival every year and will work hard to protect you in court. If you or someone you know has been arrested at the Coachella Festival, call now at (760) 322-3001 for local and experienced defense representation. Attorney Rhea has over a decade of experience in the local courts and his practice is devoted to drug and DUI defense.
PROFESSIONAL LICENSE WARNING:
Individuals with professional licenses (doctors, lawyers, nurses, commercial airline pilots and so on) need to be particularly careful with a Coachella arrest. Although PC1000 is a common way to resolve a possession case, let it be known that professional licensing agencies may treat a diversion as substantively proven criminal conduct for the purpose of suspending a professional license. If you are visiting from out of state, it may also be advisable to consult with a local attorney regarding licensing.
IMMIGRATION WARNING: IF YOU ARE NOT A U.S. CITIZEN....
If you are not a U.S. citizen, please be aware that a PC1000 diversion of a drug case could make you excludable from the United States. Every year, foreign tourists come to the Coachella Music Festival, get arrested for drug possession, and then agree to a "diversion" deal on their criminal case. This sounds like a great deal: take a class and get your case dismissed.
However, it is a very serious matter if you are not a U.S. citizen. Homeland Security could exclude you from the United States based on a diversion agreement. So, if you have been arrested for drugs, and you are not a U.S. citizen -- slow down, your case may be very serious because of the immigration consequences. This is a case in which you will definitely benefit from the counsel of an experienced local criminal attorney and an immigration lawyer. Palm Springs Lawyer Rhea regularly consults with immigration lawyers on these cases.
Common Arrests at the Coachella Music Festival :
- Minor in possession of alcohol
- Unlawful use of handicap placards
- Minor in possession of fake ID
- DUI
- Underage DUI
- Drug possession
- Marijuana possession (over an ounce) and sales
- Assault / battery
- Drug Possession for sale
- Drug sales
How to Avoid an Arrest at the Coachella Festival 2022
Planning to attend Coachella 2022? Educate yourself on how to avoid any run-ins with the law. Law enforcement will be on the lookout for intoxication and illegal substance abuse.
The Law Office of Joseph T. Rhea recommends that you take the following precautions to avoid an arrest:
- Stay Vigilant – You should not only be aware of the location of law enforcement, but also of any illegal activities going on around you. Don't get caught up in a group activity that is obviously illegal and never, ever, furnish drugs to someone you do not know.
- Stay Smart - If you are going to use a handicap placard at Coachella, make sure to do so legally.
- Stay Hydrated – If you're going to be drinking alcohol at Coachella (there is a full bar located on the festival grounds), then be sure to stay hydrated! Drink lots of water and stay out of the sun to prevent excessive intoxication and an arrest for drunk and disorderly behavior.
- Stay Calm – Things can get rowdy at Coachella sometimes. No matter what happens around you or what people say, stay calm. Getting into a fight or argument with other festival-goers may only lead to your arrest, or at least to your being kicked out of the festival.