Here is the latest update on Danya Svoboda: on September 13, 2024, the Florida bride pleaded no contest to all three felony charges tied to her February 2022 wedding reception, where guests were served marijuana-laced food without their knowledge. Judge Melanie Chase withheld adjudication and sentenced her to 48 months of probation, and the criminal case is now closed.1UniCourt. State of Florida vs. Svoboda, Danya Shea
What Svoboda Was Charged With
The Seminole County Sheriff’s Office obtained an arrest warrant for Svoboda, then 42, on April 18, 2022, roughly two months after the reception at The Springs Clubhouse in Longwood.1UniCourt. State of Florida vs. Svoboda, Danya Shea She faced two counts of tampering with a consumer product, first-degree felonies under Florida’s Anti-Tampering Act at Florida Statute 501.001(2)(a),2Florida Legislature. Florida Statute 501.001 – Anti-Tampering Act and one count of sale or delivery of a controlled substance, a third-degree felony under Florida Statute 893.13(1)(a)(2). Her bond was set at a combined $30,500, and she bonded out of the Seminole County Jail.3CNN. Florida Bride and Caterer Charged After Cannabis-Laced Wedding Food Svoboda initially pleaded not guilty.4Miami New Times. Wedding Caterer Accused of Serving Marijuana-Laced Food
Her husband, Andrew Svoboda, was questioned at the scene but was not arrested, and no charges were filed against him.5Seattle Times. Bride Arrested, Wedding Guests Sickened by Marijuana in Food, Police Say
The Plea Deal and Probation Sentence
After more than two years of pretrial proceedings, Svoboda entered a plea of nolo contendere to all three charges on September 13, 2024. The court withheld adjudication on every count, meaning she was not formally convicted despite the plea. She received 48 months of probation and was ordered to pay $368 in court costs, later structured as $200 per month beginning in October 2024. Her bond was discharged on September 16, 2024, and the case was marked closed.1UniCourt. State of Florida vs. Svoboda, Danya Shea
A withhold of adjudication under Florida law lets a defendant avoid the label of a convicted felon even after a guilty or no-contest plea. Svoboda will remain on probation for four years from the sentencing date, absent early termination.
What Happened to the Caterer
Joycelyn Montrinice Bryant, the caterer who prepared the food through her business Joycelyn’s Southern Kitchen, reached the same outcome on the same day. She pleaded no contest to all three charges, received a withhold of adjudication, and was sentenced to 48 months of probation. Court records show Bryant filed a motion to terminate her probation early in November 2025.6UniCourt. State of Florida vs. Bryant, Joycelyn Montrinice
The Civil Lawsuit Against the Caterer
A separate civil case is still open in the background. Wedding guest Virginia Ann Taylor-Svoboda filed suit on November 28, 2022, in Seminole County court against Bryant and Joycelyn’s Southern Kitchen Inc.7Click Orlando. Caterer Sued Over Food Laced With Marijuana at Longwood Wedding The complaint alleged negligence and claimed she had become “immediately ill” and suffered “serious, permanent injuries from the marijuana poisoning.”8Miami Herald. Florida Caterer Sued for Serving Marijuana-Laced Food at Wedding Taylor-Svoboda sought more than $30,000 in damages and demanded a jury trial. Danya Svoboda was not named as a defendant in the civil suit.9Fox 4 News. Florida Caterer Sued for Allegedly Serving Marijuana-Laced Food at Wedding Available records do not show a final resolution of the civil case.