Underage Drinking Conviction: Charges Expunged for Nursing Student
The Pennsylvania Law is stringent when it comes to underage drinking. In fact, if you are under 21, it is legally not permissible if you-
- Buy, or try to buy alcohol.
- Possess alcohol.
- Deliberately transfer alcohol.
- Consume alcohol.
Not just that, but Pennsylvania law also has a zero-tolerance policy against underage drinking and driving. The blood alcohol content limit (BAC) under 21 is just 0.02%, which is less than the 0.08% BAC limit for people over 21.
This means even if you had just one drink, you will be at risk of getting a DUI charge. And that’s exactly what happened with one of our clients recently. Sarah Brown, a 19-year-old nursing student at Villanova University, was held by the cops for possessing alcohol along with a DUI offense.
Now, Ms. Brown was aware of what she was about to face! So, she didn’t waste time and called us at the Logue Law Group to seek the assistance of a Pittsburgh DUI attorney. She wanted a straight-up expungement, and we assured her that she would be getting it.
Consequences of Underage DUI
First up, let’s take a look at the penalties for underage DUI in Pennsylvania (for first-time offenders)-
- Fines starting from $500.
- Suspension of driving privileges for 18 months.
- Compulsory participation in an alcohol safety school.
However, these are short-term consequences. An underage DUI conviction carries implications that extend beyond these short-term penalties. For instance, it can negatively impact your educational career and your future employment opportunities. Added to that, your insurance premiums will shoot up! So, if you want to avoid the consequences, the only way is to hire experienced Pittsburgh DUI attorneys. They are aware of the intricacies of the law and can effectively negotiate to get a better outcome.
The Expungement Story
Ms. Brown was a nursing student at Villanova University. She had a great academic record and dreamed of pursuing higher education in her field.
But this underage DUI would have disrupted her chance to pursue higher education. Moreover, such charges posed a threat to her career as well. Therefore, when she called our team of Pittsburgh DUI attorneys, we explained to her the whole process and every possible outcome. After a detailed discussion, we strategized our plan of action and started to proceed accordingly.
Our primary goal was to negotiate alternative penalties with the prosecution. What really put us in an advantageous position was Ms. Brown’s lack of prior criminal history. And along with a clean driving record, her impeccable academic performance served as the icing on our defense strategy! Our experienced Pittsburgh DUI attorneys argued that a first-time offense should not cost a student her whole life and requested a total expungement in place of our client signing up for the ARD Program.
And the results came out to be positive! Our long negotiation with the prosecution resulted in a ruling in favor of our client. The prosecution agreed to our client attending the ARD Program and promised a total expungement once she completed it.
Ms. Brown was overjoyed with the results and couldn’t thank us more, knowing that she now had a second chance to correct her mistake. She could now pursue her studies and have a bright future, and her mistake would not reflect in any public records anymore. And that’s how our skillful Pittsburgh DUI attorneys saved a bright student’s career.
Are you facing similar consequences and cannot find a way out? Don’t hesitate, and call us at 844.PITT.DUI, and schedule a free consultation with our experts!