The case of the man accused of breaking into the Blue Marlin Seafood Restaurant in Bradenton Beach is now in drug court.
Judge Andrew D. Owens Jr. ordered William Garringer, 52, of the Bradenton Beach anchorage, released on his own recognizance June 8 and transferred the case from the criminal division to the drug court program.
Bradenton Beach police arrested Garringer in March on a burglary charge after officers viewed a video of the break-in that allegedly showed the man on the restaurant’s back porch trying to open a lock with a blow torch.
Owens ordered Garringer to begin the court intervention program the week of June 12.
Under the 12th Circuit program, the court aims to reduce crime related to drug use. The program, in its 20th year, includes judicial monitoring with tools such as praise, sanctions, arrest warrants and jail time.
Under the program, Garringer is required to waive his speedy trial right, appear for an intake assessment, attend mandatory court dates and enter a plea.