Monday, March 31, 2008
Underage drinking & spring break
dui lawyer news
It’s obvious that underage drinking offenses are no small matter, but a recent community meeting emphasized the severity of this illegal activity.
On March 5, Police Sgt. Timothy Beveridge spoke to Take It Back!, a forum on the consequences of underage alcohol abuse sponsored by youth group Lake Erie Pride. Beveridge opened eyes to the strict guidelines for enforcement of liquor laws.
Spring is coming, but the snowball effect of underage drinking violations runs year-round. First, did you know that there is a separate blood alcohol content (BAC) limit for minors? Adults are considered too drunk to drive at .08B AC; teens, however, face charges at .02 BAC — for most of us, that’s the equivalent of only one drink.
In addition, teens caught driving over the adult limit are faced with two charges of D.U.I., one adult and one adolescent offense.
Here’s another fact: anyone caught providing alcohol to minors is charged, despite their age. Theoretically, then, a 17-year-old hosting a party can be charged for giving a drink to someone aged 19 or 20! Fines run at $1,000 for the first person they serve, and $2,500 for any others under 21 served.
Judges are required to punish every offender to the full extent; you cannot have fines reduced or dismissed, and you can not bargain for a lesser punishment.
Teen shares addiction struggle
He steps up to the podium, clearly rattled. “Joe” nervously discusses the story of his life, the story of his abuse. The final speaker of the night at Take It Back! was clean-cut and devoid of what some might define as typical traits of an addict.
“Joe,” however, didn’t divulge his real name for privacy reasons. Nearly half of his life has been spent under the control of drugs and alcohol, and only recently has he come to terms with who he is.
When he was 10, Joe’s sister died of leukemia. Most people can’t imagine the situation Joe faced, though it can be said that the resulting stress landed him in a very dark place, one that couldn’t be cleared by counseling or parental intervention.
Joe finally dropped out of school and ran into trouble with the law. He was arrested a number of times for minor offenses, and later committed to a shortlived stint in rehab. After a 2006 arrest, Joe was sentenced to a 90-day stay in a rehab facility and, luckily for him, the second time was a charm.
Now, at 18, Joe has stood before a crowd of strangers and talked of his daily struggle to stay sober. “The temptation is still there,” he says. His willpower’s winning, though, and Joe maintains his sobriety by attending daily meetings and working towards his high school diploma. One day at a time, one moment at a time, he’s rebuilding his life.
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DUI lawyers tell those under 21 not to drink alcohol.
It’s obvious that underage drinking offenses are no small matter, but a recent community meeting emphasized the severity of this illegal activity.
On March 5, Police Sgt. Timothy Beveridge spoke to Take It Back!, a forum on the consequences of underage alcohol abuse sponsored by youth group Lake Erie Pride. Beveridge opened eyes to the strict guidelines for enforcement of liquor laws.
Spring is coming, but the snowball effect of underage drinking violations runs year-round. First, did you know that there is a separate blood alcohol content (BAC) limit for minors? Adults are considered too drunk to drive at .08B AC; teens, however, face charges at .02 BAC — for most of us, that’s the equivalent of only one drink.
In addition, teens caught driving over the adult limit are faced with two charges of D.U.I., one adult and one adolescent offense.
Here’s another fact: anyone caught providing alcohol to minors is charged, despite their age. Theoretically, then, a 17-year-old hosting a party can be charged for giving a drink to someone aged 19 or 20! Fines run at $1,000 for the first person they serve, and $2,500 for any others under 21 served.
Judges are required to punish every offender to the full extent; you cannot have fines reduced or dismissed, and you can not bargain for a lesser punishment.
Teen shares addiction struggle
He steps up to the podium, clearly rattled. “Joe” nervously discusses the story of his life, the story of his abuse. The final speaker of the night at Take It Back! was clean-cut and devoid of what some might define as typical traits of an addict.
“Joe,” however, didn’t divulge his real name for privacy reasons. Nearly half of his life has been spent under the control of drugs and alcohol, and only recently has he come to terms with who he is.
When he was 10, Joe’s sister died of leukemia. Most people can’t imagine the situation Joe faced, though it can be said that the resulting stress landed him in a very dark place, one that couldn’t be cleared by counseling or parental intervention.
Joe finally dropped out of school and ran into trouble with the law. He was arrested a number of times for minor offenses, and later committed to a shortlived stint in rehab. After a 2006 arrest, Joe was sentenced to a 90-day stay in a rehab facility and, luckily for him, the second time was a charm.
Now, at 18, Joe has stood before a crowd of strangers and talked of his daily struggle to stay sober. “The temptation is still there,” he says. His willpower’s winning, though, and Joe maintains his sobriety by attending daily meetings and working towards his high school diploma. One day at a time, one moment at a time, he’s rebuilding his life.
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DUI lawyers tell those under 21 not to drink alcohol.
# posted by SanDiegoDUI @ 8:48 AM 
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