Polk State College Student Arrested or Charged?

Are you a Polk State College student who was stopped, cited, questioned or arrested, or the parent of one? Polk State has campuses in Winter Haven and Lakeland and centers across Polk County, and many of its students commute and work while they take classes. Attorney Ron Frey helps students when something on or off campus turns into a criminal matter. Attorney Ron Frey has been practicing law for over two decades. He is licensed in Florida, Ohio and North Carolina and admitted to the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida and the U.S. Supreme Court.

An accusation is not a conviction. Before you explain anything to an officer or to the college, call a lawyer. Call or text (813) 775-2276 for a free, confidential initial consultation by phone, video or in person. A student, a parent, or a friend or family member can make that first call.

Polk County Police and Courts

• Polk State says its security officers can ask for identification and write parking violations, but do not have law enforcement authority or arrest powers. Criminal incidents are referred to the local agency with jurisdiction over the campus.
• The college names the Winter Haven Police Department, the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, the Lakeland Police Department and the Lake Wales Police Department as agencies it works with.
• The Polk County Sheriff’s Office says it partners with Polk State on campus safety and security.
• State criminal cases in Polk County are handled in the Tenth Judicial Circuit. The main courthouse is the Polk County Courthouse in Bartow, and there is also a Lakeland Branch Courthouse. Your paperwork will say which building to go to.
• A federal case from Polk County goes to the Tampa Division of the Middle District of Florida, at the Sam M. Gibbons U.S. Courthouse in downtown Tampa.

Campus security arrangements and school rules change over time. Check Polk State’s current official policies, and have your situation reviewed by a lawyer rather than relying on this page, the internet or AI.

Situations Polk State Students May Face

A charge can come from a traffic stop on the way to class, a weekend with friends or a dispute that got out of hand. Allegations can include:

• DUI or other traffic-related charges
• Drug charges, including marijuana, vapes or pills without a prescription
• Underage drinking or a fake ID
• Theft or shoplifting, including at work
• A fight, an assault or a battery accusation
• Resisting an officer during a stop
• Weapons charges
• Computer and internet issues, such as account access, threats or images shared online

How each one is handled depends on the facts, the evidence and the agency involved. For many students it is a first arrest. See first-time offenders.

What to Do First

• Stay calm and polite. Do not run, argue or physically resist.
• Speak with an attorney first, before answering questions, giving a statement or agreeing to a search of a car, a bag or a phone.
• If officers ask you to unlock a phone or give a passcode, speak with an attorney before you decide. Whether a person can be required to unlock a device depends on the circumstances, the jurisdiction and any warrant or court order.
• Keep the citation, notice to appear or release papers, and share them with your lawyer.
• Read the court notice for the right courthouse. Do not skip a court date because of class or a work shift.
• Parents, or a friend or family member, can call Attorney Ron Frey on the student’s behalf.

Polk State’s Student Code of Conduct

Polk State has a Student Code of Conduct, run through the Dean of Student Services. The college says a student can be held accountable both to outside authorities and to the college for the same conduct, and that its process can go forward while a criminal case is pending. Its rules also say the college process is not stopped just because criminal charges are dismissed or reduced.

Because both tracks can run at the same time, what a student says in a school meeting can matter in court, and the reverse. Talk with a lawyer before you respond to the college about the incident. Depending on the case, Attorney Ron Frey can discuss how the two processes may affect each other.

Every Situation Needs Its Own Review

No two stops or arrests are alike, even on the same campus or the same road. Each situation has to be evaluated case by case under current laws, with a response tailored to it, not what the internet or AI tells you. Attorney Ron Frey looks at which agency made the arrest, why the stop happened, how any search was done, and what reports, video and witnesses actually show. Every case is different. The State still has to prove each charge with admissible evidence.

Talk With Attorney Ron Frey

If you or a friend or family member at Polk State was stopped, cited or arrested, call before you talk to investigators or the college about it. Attorney Ron Frey’s office is in downtown Tampa and he handles cases in Polk County. Call or text (813) 775-2276 for a free, confidential initial consultation by phone, video or in person.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can Polk State security arrest a student?

Polk State says its security officers do not have arrest powers and that criminal incidents are referred to the local police agency with jurisdiction over the campus.

Which police agency handles a case at a Polk State campus?

It depends on the campus and the location. Polk State lists the Winter Haven Police Department, the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, the Lakeland Police Department and the Lake Wales Police Department among the agencies it works with.

Where will a Polk State student’s case be heard?

State cases in Polk County are heard in the Tenth Judicial Circuit, at the Polk County Courthouse in Bartow or the Lakeland Branch Courthouse. Check the court notice.

Can the college discipline a student even if the charges are dropped?

Polk State’s rules say its process can go forward while a criminal case is pending, and is not stopped just because the charges are dismissed or reduced. Speak with a lawyer before responding to the school.

Can a parent call a lawyer for a student?

Yes. A parent, or a friend or family member, can call Attorney Ron Frey. Call or text (813) 775-2276 for a free, confidential initial consultation by phone, video or in person.

Related: College student defense · Polk County criminal defense · Saint Leo University students · Pasco-Hernando State College students · Federal offenses · Drug charges