Has Your Child Been Accused of Underage Drinking?
In New Jersey and in the wider United States, the number one drug of choice amongst young people is alcohol. Whether tailgating at a sporting event or concert, partying at a friend’s house or using fake ID at a bar, approximately 407,000 underage youth drink each year in New Jersey according to the Division of Mental Health and Addiction Services (DMHAS). The average age at which people have their first drink is now 11 years old and the rate at which underage drinking occurs in New Jersey is well above the national average. However, New Jersey does not have lax laws regarding underage drinking and purchasing or procuring alcohol while underage. There are serious repercussions for juvenile drinking and you will need an experienced criminal defense lawyer like those at Schneider Freiberger, P.C. if you want to minimize the potential consequences that your child will face.
Underage Drinking on Public Property
Thanks to incidents of mass underage drinking at venues like the PNC Bank Arts Center or MetLife Stadium that have lead to fights, hospitalizations and even deaths, these venues have increased the number of uniformed and plain clothes police officers patrolling the parking lots and interiors. We have worked underage drinking cases that originated at the following locales:
- Appel Farm Arts and Music Center
- Asbury Festival Area
- Asbury Park Convention Hall
- Bally’s Atlantic City
- BB&T Pavilion
- Bergen Performing Arts Center
- Boardwalk Hall Arena
- Borgata Hotel Casino
- Caesars Atlantic City
- Community Theatre At Mayo Center For The Performing Arts
- Count Basie Theatre
- Golden Nugget Atlantic City
- Hard Rock Atlantic City
- Harrah’s – Atlantic City
- House of Independents
- Izod Center
- Maxwell’s
- MetLife Stadium
- New Jersey Performing Arts Center – Prudential Hall
- Ocean City Music Pier
- Ocean Resort Casino
- Paramount Theatre at Asbury Park Convention Hall
- PNC Bank Arts Center
- Prudential Center
- Resorts Casino Atlantic City
- Scottish Rite Auditorium
- Showboat Casino
- Stanhope House
- Starland Ballroom
- State Theatre – NJ
- Stone Pony
- Sun National Bank Center
- Surf Club
- Susquehanna Bank Center
- TD Bank Arts Centre
- The Great Auditorium
- The MAC at Monmouth University
- The Saint
- The Wonder Bar – Asbury Park
- Tropicana Casino & Showroom
- Two River Theater
- Union County Arts Center
- Wellmont Theatre
- Wildwoods Convention Center
New Jersey drinking laws apply to any public property, including schools and sports fields, as well as all motor vehicles, regardless of whether they are running or not. Individuals who are underage and caught consuming or possessing alcohol, attempting to obtain alcohol or asking someone else to get them alcohol are subject to N.J.S.A 2C:33-15, the New Jersey statute governing underage drinking. If they are caught drinking and driving or engaging in fights or other disorderly conduct, the penalties can be even more severe. At Schneider Freiberger, we can help keep your child’s mistake from turning into a court battle and a stain on their record.
Penalties for Underage Drinking
A standard underage drinking conviction will be considered a disorderly persons offense, also known as a misdemeanor, and carries with it a fine of up to $500, a 6 month license suspension and the potential to be court ordered to attend an alcohol education program at your own expense. A conviction also goes on your permanent criminal record and will be displayed by a background check to potential employers and educational institutions. Laws also prohibit attempting to purchasing alcohol, misrepresenting your age in order to obtain alcohol or getting someone else to purchase alcohol for you. Those who purchase alcohol for minors also face charges under N.J.S.A. 2C:33-17 for furnishing alcohol to a minor.
When it comes to driving under the influence, New Jersey has a zero tolerance policy. Even a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of only 0.01% is enough to get your license suspended for 30-90 days, 15-30 days of community service, required attendance at the Intoxicated Drivers Resource Center (IDRC) and other fines and surcharges. This is in addition to the general underage drinking charges mentioned above. If your BAC is between 0.08% and 0.099% it carries the same charges as those set forth for a person of legal drinking age. Over 0.10% and a high tier of DWI will be enforced with even more serious fines, jail time and suspensions.
Has Your Child Been Charged with Underaged Drinking?
An underage drinking conviction can cause serious harm to a young person’s future. Suspensions on driving, court ordered treatment programs and potentially even jail time are bad enough, but the most dangerous penalty can be the mark on their permanent record. Underage drinking charges are a serious matter and they require a well formulated defense to beat. At Schneider Freiberger, we have the experience with these cases to help keep your child from a damaging conviction and will work to keep them from even reaching court by arguing for Pre-Trial Intervention (PTI) and other non-incarceration options. Contact us today to discuss your options.
