Ewing NJ Underage Drinking Lawyer
Underage drinking is a very common criminal charge issued in Mercer County, New Jersey. That is probably do in large part to the number of universities that are located within the county. Mercer County is home to Princeton University, the College of New Jersey, Rider University, Thomas Edison University, The College of New Jersey and Mercer County Community College. Whether you have been charged with possessing alcohol underage or consuming alcohol underage, you will be facing a disorderly persons offense. This is New Jersey’s version of a misdemeanor. If convicted, an individual will be scarred with a criminal record and could even face up to six months in the Mercer County Jail. A criminal record at this point in their lives could drastically affect their ability to gain meaningful employment or even get accepted into their dream university or graduate school.
Need Local Attorney for Underage Drinking Charge at Rider
If you have been charged with underage consumption of alcohol, possession of a Fake ID, simple assault, underage possession of alcohol, disorderly conduct, resisting arrest or trespassing, the Keith Oliver Criminal Law can help. Our criminal defense attorneys will do everything within our power to make sure this simply mistake does not ruin the rest of your life. We appear in courts throughout Mercer County, including the Hamilton Municipal Court, the Ewing Municipal Court, the Lawrence Municipal Court, the Trenton Municipal Court, the Princeton Municipal Court and the Robbinsville Municipal Court. If you would like to schedule a free initial consultation today with one of our attorneys then please contact us at (609) 789-0779. If you’d like, you can come into our office to discuss the facts of your cases and we can assess the strengths and weakness as we see them. Now here is some information on underage drinking in New Jersey.
Facing Underage Drinking Charge in Princeton NJ
Underage drinking and underage possession of alcohol are both governed by the same statute in New Jersey, that is N.J.S.A. 2C:33-15. The statute is rather straightforward, it punishes anyone who is under the age of 21 and is caught either possesses and/or consumes it in any school, public conveyance, public place or place of public assembly or motor vehicle. It is important to note here that the State does not have to produce a lab report or a breathalyzer that indicates the Defendant was consuming alcohol. The officers are able to testify as to their observations, i.e. slurred speech, bloodshot eyes, odor of alcohol or physical possession of it. If you or a loved one has been arrested and charged with this offense, it is crucial that you speak to an experienced Mercer County criminal defense attorney as soon as possible about your options. A criminal conviction for this offenses will remain on an individual’s criminal history for at least three years. At which point in time, the burden will be on the individual to file for an expungement. Please see below for more information on the potential penalties.
What is the Sentence for Underage Drinking in NJ?
Underage drinking and underage possession of alcohol is disorderly persons offense in New Jersey. If convicted, an individual will be facing up to six months in the Mercer County Jail, a fine up to $1,000, probation, alcohol education or treatment program, community service and a criminal record. In addition, pursuant to the statute, the fine must be at least $500. In addition, if the offense occurred while in a motor vehicle, the Judge has to suspend or postpone the individual’s driving license for six (6) months. With that being said, if the Defendant is has no prior criminal history, defense counsel may be able to get them into the Conditional Dismissal program if the charges cannot be downgraded or dismissed. The program, would place an individual on a probationary period and if they were able to complete the period without violating any of the terms, the charges will be outright dismissed.
Underage Possession of Alcohol Attorneys in Ewing NJ
If you or someone you know has been charged with underage possession of alcohol, disorderly conduct, eluding, resisting arrest, harassment, possession of marijuana under 50 grams, in Mercer County, we can help. Our attorneys fully understand what a criminal conviction let alone jail time could do to one’s life. We serve all of Mercer County, including towns like Hamilton, Trenton, Lawrence, West Windsor, Hightstown, Pennington, Hopewell and East Windsor. To speak to one of our Mercer County criminal defense attorneys today about your options then please contact us at (609) 789-0779. We are available around the clock to help assist in anyway that we can.