Tuesday, October 18, 2016

Underage Drinking: Penalties And Consequences

Youth, in an ideal sense, is when people can do everything that they may so please since they are not tied down by the anchor that is referred to as responsibilities. They can play around as much as they want without having to worry about daily essentials such as putting food on the table or paying the monthly utility bills. It is also during this time when people start to experiment with what they can and can’t do.

Image source: yourteenmag.com

Unsurprisingly, a lot of teenagers are interested in drinking alcohol. It might be because of environmental factors such as adult influence or peer pressure. However, laws specifically dictate that young adults must be the age of 21 or above before they can legally consume liquor, wine, and other alcoholic beverages. If any underage person is caught drinking, there will be penalties and consequences to be imposed.

Image source: dailymail.co.uk

One such penalty is a fine. The amount usually varies from state to state. Specific situations call for different penalties as well. For example, in New Jersey, if a person were to bring and consume alcohol on school premises, the offender must pay an amount of up to $1,000; doing the same thing in private property, meanwhile, will cost a fourth of that amount.

If the underage individual drove while under the influence (DUI), it could result in the suspension of his or her license. And if it involved some property damage, the adolescent could face jail time for the offense.

Other penalties include diversion programs (supervised counseling, which can sometimes result in dropped charges if the teen participates successfully in the program) and punishments such as community service for a specific period.

When faced with such situation, it is best to seek legal help from defense lawyers such as Michael J. Donohue. More information on this website.