<p>I am aware of the policy, kayf, and it is unfortunate. I actually was almost charged with that after I allegedly provided alcohol to another minor (I was 17 at the time), but the officer worked with me and in the end just gave me the drinking ticket. Drinking tickets can be taken care of, but you are right in stating that other charges (aiding and abetting, DUI, etc) are much more difficult to get dropped.</p>
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Cuse, my point in posting that article is that this happens even with adult supervision. How much more likely is it that this will happen without adult supervision? And, as you most likely know, one stupid decision generally leads to another, especially in situations in which the group mentality is likely to take over.</p>
<p>Chedva,</p>
<p>What exactly happened? They had a party, it got busted, not the end of the world. The only one who is really suffering as a result of it is the parent. If he wasn’t there, it would be almost a non-issue (as I said earlier, simple underage drinking citations don’t usually amount to too much).</p>
<p>Maybe they didn’t when you were a teenager (from your previous posts I assume you aren’t one any longer), but the laws in a lot of jurisdictions have changed. I do know that the students are suspended from any further senior year activities, and are not permitted at graduation, though they will graduate. I also know that they will have to travel from Revere, MA to Maine to answer the charges, and I don’t know what the issues are regarding underaged drinking in Maine (or, for the OP, in Ocean City). But with all the recent publicity about underaged drinkers, I doubt that these kids will get a simple slap on the wrist. </p>
<p>My question to the OP is, just what are you willing to risk?</p>
<p>I’m 20, so while no longer a teenager I’m not too far removed from those days. My home state, North Carolina, has a reputation for being one of the toughest states on underage drinking (besides local and state police forces, we have well-funded state and county agencies wholly dedicated to going undercover and busting underage drinkers). North Carolina also has some of the nation’s toughest laws regarding underage drinking, with the police permitted to breathalyze anyone at anytime, regardless of probable cause. </p>
<p>Even with these stipulations, drinking tickets aren’t a big deal here (they carry the same weight as a traffic charge) and I doubt that they matter much elsewhere in states that are much more lenient to underage drinkers (New York is one example).</p>
<p>okay, thanks for all the responses.</p>
<p>we’ve already finished school, and our graduation is next week. this trip is planned for the end of May. so by the time we go, i would have already graduated and received my diploma… so in the event of any problem, my HS would not be able to do anything to me. i know it’s possible that my college might decide to take action, but from what i hear that is rare. </p>
<p>as for all the horror stories being posted about teenage drinking… no doubt, i definitely understand all of the risks involved. however, i personally know dozens of people who went to Ocean City Senior Week, partied and had a good time, and returned with no incident. there are thousands of kids at Ocean City every summer, and maybe one or two kids die (and often times, they died because they put themselves in particularly dangerous situations). i can’t help but think that some of these anecdotes are just scare tactics… more of an exception to reality than a rule. there was one kid who was struck by a drunk driver and died at Ocean City a couple days ago. the story was very chilling, but none of my friends will even have cars, so i’m not worried about getting into a car being operated by a drunk driver. </p>
<p>i haven’t read the apartment lease yet, but i will definitely make sure to do that. </p>
<p>i know underage drinking CAN be dangerous… but that doesn’t mean it has to be. my friends and i are really not your typical “wild” teenagers… if anything, we’ll just chill in our condo with a couple bottles and relax - listen to music, joke around, tell stories. </p>
<p>i’m well aware of all of the dangers and all. i wasn’t necessarily asking to be ‘lectured’, i was just looking for some clarity on how alcohol laws work and how i can best avoid any problems.</p>
<p>In Pennsylvania a conviction for underage drinking will result in a loss of your drivers license for 90 days on the first offense and 1 year on the second. No exceptions. This is imposed by the Department of Motor Vehicles regardless of any alternate resolution procedure applied to the criminal charges. This includes convictions in other states.</p>
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<p>Key word there is conviction. Most good defense attorneys can easily make a drinking ticket “go away” before any sort of court appearance is required. Just be sure that you have several hundred to a thousand dollars ready to get the thing dropped.</p>
<p>And to the OP, you can “best avoid problems” by keeping all alcoholic beverages inside (no exceptions, even if they are in solo cups), keeping the noise to a minimum (particularly at night), and making sure that no one drives under any circumstances if they have been drinking.</p>
<p>Actually Cuse, you are not correct and perhaps I wasn’t clear enough. Even if the citation/charges are dealt with through an alternate resolution program (such as ADR or Youth Panels), the existence of the matter on the docket is brought to the attention of the DMV and unless you go to trial and are found “not guilty”, you are up the creek with the DMV that has its own administrative process separate and apart from the court proceedings on the citation.</p>
<p>And frankly you trivialize the risks inappropriately. Putting aside the legitimate health and safety concerns, if you get the citation that you seem to cavalierly dismiss as no big deal, who’s going to foot that $1000 fee to get it “handled”? Moreover, if you end up convicted, it will impact on your credit rating and auto insurance rates. Lenders, credit card companies and auto insurers use contacts with law enforcement/ courts for underage drinking as part of the underwriting/risk evaluation process for those under 21.</p>
<p>Now understand, I am not being judgmental here; my views on underage drinking, drinking ages and “status” offenses when it comes to our laws regarding alcohol have been stated almost ad nauseam on other threads. But your dismissive views of the seriousness of an underage drinking citation border on reckless disregard of some harsh realities.</p>
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<p>I understand that, but I was referring to the citation being dropped/dismissed as a whole without ever going to trial and without participation in an alternate resolution program. Happens down here all the time, but I guess perhaps things work differently in Pennsylvania?</p>
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<p>The $1000 figure quoted was an estimate on the higher end; I was able to get my first drinking ticket dropped for around $300. Who paid for it? Well, I got a summer job, and was able to pay my attorney within two paychecks. </p>
<p>During high school and my first two years of college I’ve probably had about 15 friends get drinking tickets; none of them were ever convicted and as far as I know none of them even had to go to court for them. If you hire an attorney, it has been my experience that it is pretty damn hard to actually get convicted for getting a simple drinking ticket. At one university down here they even have coupons for lawyers mixed in with their pizza/parking and etc. coupons that offer “50% off your first drinking ticket” or something similar. Drinking tickets really don’t have to be a big deal if you handle them appropriately.</p>
<p>Cuse, I agree the policy is overkill. But people should be aware of it.</p>
<p>…"how i can best avoid any problems??</p>
<p>enjoy OC without alcohol. While I know it’s foolish to even state the obvious, maybe, just maybe you will think about it. Think about the call your parents will get and the money they will have to spend if it happens.</p>
<p>^I agree with laxmom. Just like the best way to avoid getting pregnant is not having sex, the best way to avoid any “problems” is not drinking underage. Duh.</p>
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That’s the advice I gave my (adult) d when she travelled with friends and we were talking about staying together. “Do you want to be the one to have to call your friend’s parents and tell them she’s missing?” All the talk about the risks didn’t faze her as much; that question stopped her in her tracks.</p>
<p>I have a penalty too, that hasn’t been mentioned. As a conscientious landlord, I look up criminal history of prospective tenants. Besides the obvious evictions, I also look for domestic violence and drinking violations. Anyone with a conviction within 10 yrs for either of those, I cross off my list.</p>