Friend got caught drinking at concert

[archcommus]

Some friends of mine went to a concert last weekend (I wasn't there), most are 19 years old, maybe one or two 20. They all got cited for underage drinking. Today, one of them got her notice. It says "S 18 S6308 SSA Purch Etc Alcoh bev by a minor." She has a court date in July.

Now, this girl in particular was certainly drinking, however she did not purchase, nor did any police WITNESS her purchase, yet for some reason this is the only charge showing on this sheet. So the one crime she did do she is not being charged for, and the one crime she is being charged for she did not do.

How should she best proceed at this point? I'll pass on any advice to her.

Thanks.

 

[TitanDiddly]

Not drink underage?

Seriously, she broke the law. She should own up to it. Whatever happened to personal responsiblity?

 

[BigJ]

Is she the oldest one there?

If so, that's why she got hit for it.

 

[ghost recon88]

Man oh man...

 

[archcommus]

Originally posted by: TitanDiddly
Not drink underage?

Seriously, she broke the law. She should own up to it. Whatever happened to personal responsiblity?

I'm not condoning it. But regardless, she's in this situation now, and is my friend, so I want to know what the best thing for her to do is. Perhaps she can get out of this because she's only being charged for purchasing, which she did not do?

 

[notfred]

She should go to the court date, get her 10 hours of community service, go volunteer somewhere for a weekend, and be more discrete in the future.

 

[olds]

Tell her to show up in court
/thread

 

[archcommus]

Originally posted by: notfred
She should go to the court date, get her 10 hours of community service, go volunteer somewhere for a weekend, and be more discrete in the future.

If only it'd be that light. My other friend caught got walking on campus with a beer in hand last semester, he ended up having to choose between a $420 fine or losing his license for three months. He chose the former.

Originally posted by: oldsmoboat
Tell her to show up in court
/thread

But how should she plead? She's innocent of the charge.

 

[Glavinsolo]

What is going to happen is that she is going to get off (judication witheld) since it is a first offense and told that if she is caught again they will throw the book at her. Just scare her a bit. I'm sure having a court date for a misdemeanor has her nervous and worried already.

 

[chickadee]

Find out where it was purchased, get video tape, prove it wasnt her but rat out a friend?

 

[Glavinsolo]

Originally posted by: archcommus

Originally posted by: notfred
She should go to the court date, get her 10 hours of community service, go volunteer somewhere for a weekend, and be more discrete in the future.

If only it'd be that light. My other friend caught got walking on campus with a beer in hand last semester, he ended up having to choose between a $420 fine or losing his license for three months. He chose the former.

Originally posted by: oldsmoboat
Tell her to show up in court
/thread

But how should she plead? She's innocent of the charge.

Purchasing alcohol for minors is greater than drinking alcohol as a minor. She should fess up to the judge when he/she is asking her questions. She should inform the judge she didn't purchase alcohol but that night she had consumed some underage. Let the judge decide. They will have like 40 people in the court room waiting their turn in front of the judge they go through all of them in like 2hours so that is about 3 mins per person.

 

[mpitts]

OMG THE COPZ FORGOT TO PUT MY MIDDLE INITIAL ON MY TICKET SO IM HOME FREEEEEEEZ!

PWN3D J00 PIGX0RZ!!!

There's no loophole here. She should show up in court and plead not guilty to purchasing alcohol, knowing full well that the next question she will have to answer is whether or not she was under the influece of alcohol.

 

[Horus]

Originally posted by: TitanDiddly
Not drink underage?

Seriously, she broke the law. She should own up to it. Whatever happened to personal responsiblity?

Because, the law is fvcking stupid. Kids in Europe can drink whenever they want, and because of that they learn to drink responsibly, and within tolerance. Same for kids in Quebec.

But drinking at 21? It's the most retarded law I've ever heard of. It makes impressionable, rebellious kids want to break the rules as much as possible.

 

[Linflas]

Originally posted by: archcommus

Originally posted by: notfred
She should go to the court date, get her 10 hours of community service, go volunteer somewhere for a weekend, and be more discrete in the future.

If only it'd be that light. My other friend caught got walking on campus with a beer in hand last semester, he ended up having to choose between a $420 fine or losing his license for three months. He chose the former.

Originally posted by: oldsmoboat
Tell her to show up in court
/thread

But how should she plead? She's innocent of the charge.

Not guilty is generally what innocent people plead. Too bad you couldn't get me on a jury for that trial. I guarantee you she would be found not guilty or the jury would come back hung. I think the 21 year old drinking age is ridiculous.

 

[Qujo]

If you can serve at 18, you should be able to drink at 18. Bring on the revolution.

 

[Saint Nick]

I have to admit that the 21 age for drinking alcohol is stupid, in my opinion, but they do have it for a reason. At 18, we can vote, join the military, pay taxes, but we can't drink a beer? It's stupid, yes, but it IS a law. And like all other laws, we must adibe by them or we get punished, we know that, your friend knew that. The best advice at this point is to tell her to bite the bullet and do what the court tells her to do.

I think the reason that it is set at age 21 is because of responsibility. They don't want kids getting behind the wheel of a car while drunk, or do something stupid while drunk. Of course, it kind of backfired for them. Like Horus said, it makes the rebellious kids want to break the rules more.

 

[Lazy8s]

I'd honestly talk to an attourney. If not I'm sure she could talk to a public defender. I'm all up for owning up to it but if people don't get off on technicalities then the loopholes won't be fixed, just hope you go through before they get closed up!

EDIT: :camera: or ban!!

 

[Qujo]

Actually if you really look at it - the prohibition, age 21 limit, blue state laws, etc. You would realize that these rules are based on things that have nothing to do with promoting safety.

 

[Saint Nick]

Originally posted by: Qujo
Actually if you really look at it - the prohibition, age 21 limit, blue state laws, etc. You would realize that these rules are based on things that have nothing to do with promoting safety.

I wonder why they set the age at 21, though. I wonder what facts and knowledge it was based on.

 

[Baked]

Run for the border and never come back?

 

[Praxis1452]

God is it so hard not do drink outside? God there is no law against drinking the way I see it. Anybody can drink. Get some friends over. Get some alcohol. Whatever you guys like really. Have a blast. Some of my friends don't drink but come over anyway. They think watching drunk people is funny as hell... and it is =D. ****** the law. It's only important if you get caught. And drinking is easy to not get caught.

 

[tfinch2]

Originally posted by: Qujo
Actually if you really look at it - the prohibition, age 21 limit, blue state laws, etc. You would realize that these rules are based on things that have nothing to do with promoting safety.

Keep lurking. That topic is for an entirely different thread, and has nothing to do with this one.

She should goto court and see what happens. Plead innocent on the charges. She might get off on a technicality, but I hope they prosecute her for underage drinking.

 

[ahurtt]

Don't assume that just because "S 18 S6308 SSA Purch Etc Alcoh bev by a minor" is what it says on the ticket that she is only being charged with purchase. Note the "Etc"? You need to read the code and see what that section covers to know exactly the charges against her.

Anyway, probably not worth it to even fight it. Just tell her go to court, say sorry, accept her fine/sentence (will probably be probation or some community service or something) and move on with life. If it's a first offense she'll probably get off very easy. She's not going to go to jail or anything. It's not really a big deal. Best thing she should hope for if not acquited of charges is a probation before judgement. In that case, no conviction is made, no judgement passed. You get a probation period and you have to report in every so often and as long as you don't get caught breaking the law again during probation, you are off scott free.

 

[SVT Cobra]

Originally posted by: oldsmoboat
Tell her to show up in court
/thread

I couldn't agree more.

 

[moomoo40moo]

Speaking from experience, go to court, listen to what the judge reads she is being charged with, if she is not guilty of it or THINKS she might not be guilty, plea not guilty, and just make a deal w/ the DA. Easy.