Quote Originally Posted by Stan Zimmerman, Pelican Press
The 1990 ordinance can put people in jail for leaving a car or boat overnight in a park. In the past, such action left the owner vulnerable to arrest for a second-degree misdemeanor worth a $500 fine and maybe 60 days in jail.

The commissioners may add a new provision to the old ordinance, allowing a deputy simply to put a parking ticket on the offending vehicle. The fine under consideration is $97.

Otherwise, nothing changed. County parks, beaches and "public natural areas" are closed between midnight and 6 a.m. Any car or boat in those areas during that time frame falls under the 1990 ordinance.

The fine did not replace the misdemeanor provision. It was added to give deputies an option.
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