What to do About Your Child’s Underage Drinking Ticket
Underage drinking is something that many people have to deal with in their life times and that many parents deal with each year. Underage drinking is not only illegal, it is dangerous as well. For those parents in the North Carolina area, looking for traffic violations law firms, a Randolph County traffic lawyer (Asheboro Traffic Lawyer) can help you to get a lawyer that knows the local laws and knows how to help your child and your family navigate this difficult time.
What are the Penalties for Underage Drinking and Driving in North Carolina?
In North Carolina, as in all states in the United States, drinking alcohol under the age of 21 is illegal. Drinking and driving is illegal for all ages. When it comes to an underage drinker that becomes an underage drunk driver, the penalties are rather steep. If someone under the age of 21 is caught drinking and driving it is classified as a misdemeanor.
Misdemeanors can be punished by fines up to $1,000 or can even be resultant in jail time of up to 60 days. Of course, the penalty is going to depend on more than just the drinking and driving alone. When a police officer or other officer of justice pulls someone over and discovers that they are underage and that they are also drinking and driving, they will be taken into custody and their parents are called.
If you live in the Randolph County area, you may want to look for a traffic ticket attorney Randolph County to better explain the different types of traffic ticket that they can get. When a minor is convicted of drinking and driving the court will take into account if it is the first infraction, have they been in trouble with the law before, have they had other issues that have been handled by the court, etc. This helps the court to determine what the likelihood that the offender will re-offend is.
Those that are more likely to re-offend are going to get a higher penalty than those that might be facing their first traffic ticket or their first drunk driving charge. If someone is a repeat offender or if the court feels that they are likely to offend again they may be sentenced to parole, house arrest, or even to actual jail time.
In cases where there is an accident, where someone is injured, or where property is damaged, the stakes are even higher. If the drunk driving charge was brought up because the driver got into an accident they can be fined, jailed, even have their license suspended if they have one. Also, the parents of the minor are likely going to be responsible for repayment of damages that are the result of the accident. Finding a local attorney such as a Asheboro NC traffic lawyer can help you get the best representation in the area that know the local laws and know what to expect from local law enforcement.
When to Hire a Lawyer
If your child has been involved in a drunk driving charge, you should call an attorney immediately. An attorney like the Law Office of Tony Huynh is going to be able to lay out your case, to help your child come to terms with what they have done, and to start to make amends for their wrong doing.
Drunk driving is a terrible thing but with the help of an affordable traffic attorney NC, you can help your child turn their life around and get their traffic violation behind them. The right representation can help make sure your child gets a fair trial, that they are given every opportunity to make amends, and that they have the best chance at getting back on the right foot.