Disorderly Conduct at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport

Airports are built for movement, but they are not built for patience. At Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL), a rushed curbside drop off, a delayed flight, a missed connection, or a tense encounter at TSA can escalate fast. What begins as a misunderstanding can turn into handcuffs, a night in jail, and a criminal charge that follows you long after you have left the terminal.

In Florida, “disorderly conduct” is often charged under the state’s breach of peace statute. It is broad language, and that breadth is exactly why these cases require careful defense. Prosecutors and officers may interpret behavior differently in a crowded airport than they would in a quieter setting, and when the environment is loud and chaotic, the facts are rarely as clean as the police report makes them sound.

The Ansara Law Firm is based in Fort Lauderdale and is led by criminal defense attorney Richard Ansara. The firm represents people accused of crimes in South Florida, including Broward County. If you were arrested or cited at FLL, the steps you take right away can shape the outcome of your case, from bond decisions to evidence preservation to whether charges can be reduced or dismissed.

Why Disorderly Conduct Cases Are Different at FLL

FLL is not just another public place. It is a high traffic, high security environment with overlapping layers of authority. The Broward County Aviation Department contracts with the Broward Sheriff’s Office (BSO) to provide law enforcement services at the airport, and BSO’s airport district is tasked with maintaining safety and security for passengers and tenants. That means many airport disorderly conduct arrests involve officers who are accustomed to controlling crowds, managing fast moving situations, and responding aggressively to perceived noncompliance.

An airport also produces built in evidence. There are cameras in terminals, at gates, in baggage areas, on the curb, and throughout the roadways. There may be recordings from airline agents, witnesses who are traveling with you, and digital footprints such as boarding times, text messages, and app notifications that help establish what was happening and why. In the right hands, that evidence can protect you. In the wrong hands, it can be ignored.

Common Situations That Trigger Disorderly Conduct Allegations

Many FLL disorderly conduct cases stem from ordinary, human moments that get interpreted in the harshest way possible. A traveler argues about a bag fee. Someone panics after realizing their ID is missing. A passenger raises their voice after being told they cannot board. A family dispute spills into public. Alcohol turns a minor annoyance into a confrontation.

The charge is often paired with other allegations, such as resisting an officer, trespass, or disorderly intoxication. These added counts can raise the stakes quickly and can make prosecutors treat the incident as more serious than it truly was.

The Florida Disorderly Conduct Statute

Florida’s disorderly conduct law is found in section 877.03, Florida Statutes. The statute describes conduct that corrupts public morals, outrages public decency, affects the peace and quiet of people who witness it, involves brawling or fighting, or otherwise constitutes a breach of the peace or disorderly conduct. 

A key point is that “disorderly conduct” is not limited to one specific act. Because the language is broad, the defense often comes down to details: what you did, what you said, what the officer perceived, what bystanders observed, and what the video actually shows.

Penalties for Disorderly Conduct in Florida

A disorderly conduct charge under section 877.03 is a second degree misdemeanor. Under Florida’s general penalty statute, a second degree misdemeanor is punishable by up to 60 days in jail. A second degree misdemeanor can also carry a fine of up to $500. 

Even when jail is not imposed, the “real world” consequences matter. A conviction can appear on background checks, create professional licensing issues, cause employment consequences, complicate immigration matters, and affect travel plans, especially if the incident is described as occurring in an airport security setting.

Speech, Arguments, and the Limits of the Law

One of the most misunderstood parts of disorderly conduct law is how it applies to speech. Florida courts have narrowed how section 877.03 can be used when the alleged misconduct is purely verbal, and a defense may focus on whether the state is trying to criminalize protected speech rather than actual, unlawful conduct. In an airport, where people complain loudly and emotions run high, this issue comes up more often than you might expect.

That does not mean every heated argument is protected or consequence free. It means prosecutors still have to prove the legal elements beyond a reasonable doubt, and the defense can challenge whether the behavior truly rose to the level of criminal disorderly conduct.

Related Charges That Often Accompany Airport Disorderly Conduct

At FLL, disorderly conduct is frequently filed alongside other offenses. This matters because the “secondary” charges sometimes carry higher penalties than the disorderly conduct count itself, and they can also change how a judge views bond and pretrial release.

Resisting an Officer Without Violence

Florida Statute 843.02 makes it a crime to resist, obstruct, or oppose an officer in the lawful execution of a legal duty without offering or doing violence. In airport cases, this can be alleged when a person pulls away during handcuffing, refuses commands, tenses their arms, or argues while officers are trying to separate people.

A strong defense may focus on whether the officer was performing a lawful duty, whether commands were clearly communicated, and whether the alleged “resistance” was actually confusion, fear, or a reflexive reaction in a stressful environment.

Resisting an Officer With Violence

Florida Statute 843.01 addresses resisting, obstructing, or opposing an officer by offering or doing violence. This is a serious escalation. In many cases, the defense is built on video review, medical records, and witness testimony to determine what truly happened and whether the allegation is exaggerated.

Trespass

Trespass issues come up at airports when someone enters restricted areas, refuses to leave after being directed to depart, or returns after being told they are not allowed on the premises. Florida Statute 810.08 covers trespass in a structure or conveyance, including willfully entering or remaining without authorization, or refusing to leave after being warned.

Disorderly Intoxication

Airports and alcohol often overlap, especially during delays. Florida Statute 856.011 makes it a crime to be intoxicated and endanger the safety of another person or property, or to be intoxicated or drink in a public place or public conveyance and cause a public disturbance. 

A defense may challenge whether the person was actually intoxicated, whether there was any endangerment, and whether the disturbance was caused by the person or by the surrounding conflict.

Battery and Battery on a Law Enforcement Officer

If an argument becomes physical, prosecutors may charge battery. Florida Statute 784.03 defines battery as intentionally touching or striking another person against their will, or intentionally causing bodily harm. 

If the allegation involves an officer and the state claims you knew the person was law enforcement, battery can be reclassified under Florida Statute 784.07, which increases the severity in certain circumstances. This is one reason airport disorderly conduct cases must be approached with caution. What begins as a misdemeanor accusation can shift quickly into felony exposure depending on how the state frames the encounter.

What Usually Happens After an FLL Arrest

An airport arrest often feels faster and more disorienting than an arrest elsewhere. People are separated from family, phones may be taken, luggage can get lost, and travel plans fall apart. The next steps typically include booking, a first appearance or bond decision, and a state attorney review for formal charging.

During this window, evidence can disappear. Surveillance video may be overwritten. Witnesses may scatter to other states or countries. Airline staff who saw the incident may rotate shifts. This is why early legal representation matters. The sooner your attorney can demand preservation of footage and identify witnesses, the stronger your defense options can be.

Defenses in Disorderly Conduct Cases at FLL

There is no one size fits all defense. The right approach depends on what triggered the incident and what the evidence truly shows. Still, several themes appear repeatedly in airport disorderly conduct cases.

The Conduct Did Not Meet the Legal Standard

Because section 877.03 is broad, many arrests are based on irritation, embarrassment, or an officer’s subjective reaction rather than conduct that actually meets the statute. Your defense may focus on the gap between “annoying” and “criminal.”

The Case Is About Speech, Not Criminal Conduct

When the state relies heavily on what you said rather than what you did, the defense may challenge whether the charge is an improper attempt to punish speech. Florida appellate decisions have recognized limits on using section 877.03 to criminalize speech alone.

Misidentification and Crowd Confusion

Airports are crowded. People point fingers. Someone hears yelling and assumes the person standing closest is the aggressor. Video and witness statements often reveal that the wrong person was blamed, or that the situation was reciprocal rather than one sided.

Self Defense or Defense of Others

If the allegation involves fighting, the defense may explore whether you were acting to protect yourself or someone else. The exact facts matter, including who initiated the physical contact and whether you had a safe way to disengage.

Unlawful Detention or Overreach

Some cases involve a situation that escalates because an officer or security staff overreacted, or because a person was detained without a lawful basis. That can open the door to suppression issues and credibility challenges.

How The Ansara Law Firm Can Help

When your freedom and record are on the line, you need more than generic advice. You need a defense that is built around facts, local procedure, and courtroom strategy.

Richard Ansara is a South Florida native who earned a B.S. in Business Management and Finance from Florida Atlantic University and graduated with honors from Nova Southeastern University Shepard Broad Law School. He has experience on the prosecution side as well, having served in both the Fort Lauderdale Prosecutor’s Office and the Office of the State Attorney in Broward County. That background matters in airport cases because it helps a defense lawyer anticipate how prosecutors evaluate evidence, how charging decisions are made, and what arguments are most persuasive early in the case.

Richard Ansara has also been recognized by the Broward County Association of Criminal Attorneys with a “Hat Trick Award” for three consecutive not guilty verdicts. He is a member of several professional organizations, including local and statewide criminal defense groups and the Florida Bar.

Just as important, the firm’s work reflects familiarity with airport related issues. The firm’s published case results include a Fort Lauderdale Airport trespass matter that ended in dismissal, described as involving an allegation that the client was “soliciting” passengers in violation of airport rules. The case results page also includes a matter in which a client facing disorderly conduct, disorderly intoxication, and resisting without violence reportedly obtained a dismissal after investigation. Every case is different and results are never guaranteed, but these examples show that the firm understands how quickly misdemeanor allegations can grow in scope, and how targeted motion practice and factual investigation can change outcomes.

Steps to Take If You Are Accused at FLL

If you are still at the airport and a situation is developing, your goal should be to protect yourself without creating new exposure.

Stay calm, speak as little as possible, and do not try to “talk your way out” of an arrest. In a loud environment, your words can be misquoted or misunderstood. If you are told you are being detained or arrested, ask for a lawyer and then stop talking. If you have visible injuries, request medical attention and document what you can as soon as you are allowed.

If you have already been released, write down everything you remember while it is fresh. Note the names of airline employees or witnesses if you have them, the location in the terminal, and the sequence of events leading up to police involvement. Preserve texts, photos, boarding pass details, and any communications with the airline. These details often become leverage later, especially when surveillance video must be requested quickly.

Protecting Your Record and Your Future

Many disorderly conduct cases can be resolved without a conviction, but that outcome is rarely automatic. It takes work. It takes timing. It takes an attorney who knows how the Broward courts operate and who understands what prosecutors need to dismiss or reduce a case. Early intervention can be critical, especially in airport cases where surveillance footage, witness memories, and incident reports can shape how the case is viewed from the outset. A focused defense looks beyond the initial arrest and addresses how the charge could affect employment, professional licensing, background checks, and future travel.

If you have been arrested or cited for disorderly conduct at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, contact The Ansara Law Firm for help. The firm is based in Fort Lauderdale and offers consultations for prospective clients. Getting legal counsel involved early allows your attorney to protect evidence, communicate with prosecutors, and pursue options that may avoid a conviction altogether. The sooner your defense begins, the more control you have over the outcome and the better positioned you are to protect your record and your future.