Student Accused of Underage Drinking Gets Charges Dismissed
An Eagle’s game with your college homies is indeed an exciting affair! Cheering your favorite stars from the gallery and witnessing pure action is a mandatory experience that you must have in your checklist when you’re enjoying your college life!
However, you must also remember that one small mistake from your side might lead to severe consequences. For instance, if you face an underage drinking charge, it might disrupt your scholarship or your job prospects! This is why having a Pittsburgh criminal lawyer by your side is considered essential to future-proof your career.
At the Logue Law Group, we recently handled a similar case, where a student faced underage drinking charges. So, stick with this blog to find out what happened next, and how we dealt with the case.
Why is Underage Drinking Considered a Serious Charge?
Title 18, Section 6308 of the Pa.C.S categorizes underage drinking as a non-traffic summary offense.
Now, you might wonder why a summary offense is considered to be so serious? Well, that’s the irony! Although a summary offense is not as serious as a misdemeanor or a felony, it sets a permanent criminal record against your name.
Which means, in the future, your potential employer or landlord might just stumble upon this conviction while doing a background check. And that might cause serious issues in finding a job or getting a place to stay!
A Diversion Program Might Save You!
In this case, the only way to save our client was to get him eligible for a diversion program. This time, our Pittsburgh criminal lawyers didn’t have to negotiate much, as it was the first-ever offense of our client.
Added to that, he was also a scholarship holder. Therefore, a conviction would’ve stripped away his financial aid and impacted his career.
As for our case, the diversion program required our client to undergo any of the following requirements-
- Attending alcohol education classes.
- Performing community service hours.
- Paying a small administrative fee.
The prosecution ordered our client to complete community service as an alternative to a conviction.
The Road to a Complete Dismissal
Our client followed every single piece of advice from our expert Pittsburgh criminal lawyers and met the mandatory requirement of serving community hours. And because of this, the court decided to dismiss the charges against him.
This meant that the arrest will not result in a conviction. Therefore, it was like a fresh start for our client, who was very worried about what the future held for him!
Why is Professional Guidance Necessary?
In simple terms, the prosecution’s job is to prove that you broke the law. And your lawyer’s job is to protect your constitutional rights and your interests!
So, having a Pittsburgh criminal lawyer becomes necessary as they can help with the following elements-
- Negotiating with the prosecution to reduce or dismiss the charges.
- Representing you in court.
- Filing the mandatory paperwork to get your case expunged.
Wrapping Up
A mistake in your teenage years should never define your entire life. And that is exactly why you need an experienced legal representative who can fight to protect your rights and help you retain your reputation and your career.
So, if you, or someone you know, has been charged with underage drinking, don’t panic, and call a Pittsburgh criminal lawyer right away. Dial 412-387-6901 to book a free consultation today!