Serving Consequences of Underage Drinking at Home
Most students do not face underage drinking charges for taking a sip of wine at home. Instead, those facing criminal penalties are generally cited for additional violations such as public intoxication or disturbing the peace. If you were charged with underage drinking in South Carolina – especially in your home or hotel room – contact the experienced Conway college crimes defense attorneys at Brad C. Richardson, LLC, right away, by calling (843) 488-4321 or confidentially reaching out online.
Potential Penalties for Underage Drinking in South Carolina
Underage drinking can be serious if persons under 21 display binge drinking tendencies or signs of addiction. These cases are more often referred to law enforcement, especially if officers arrive at a college party in Conway and witness erratic behavior or potential alcohol poisoning. In such cases, you should immediately contact a college crimes defense attorney to discuss avoiding the following possible penalties:
Criminal Charges for Drinking Under 21
South Carolina Code §§ 63-19-2440 and 63-19-2450 prohibit persons under the age of 21 from purchasing, attempting to purchase, consuming, or possessing beer, wine, and liquor, with limited exceptions for students enrolled at culinary institutions such as Horry-Georgetown Technical College, servers, and law enforcement informants. If you’re caught drinking alcohol at home, you might be charged with a misdemeanor offense punishable by up to 30 days in prison and a small fine.
College Disciplinary and Collateral Consequences
Though these penalties seem relatively minor, underage drinking is still a criminal offense in Conway. It goes on your criminal record and can have serious collateral consequences for college and college-bound students. These include the following:
- Revocation of admission
- Dismissal and expulsion
- Academic probation
- Loss of scholarships
- Inability to participate in sports or extracurricular activities
- Removal from campus
- Marks on your academic record
If you were charged with underage drinking in South Carolina, an experienced local college crimes defense attorney might help you get these charges deferred and then expunged before they impact your future.
Options for Expunging (Removing) Underage Drinking Charges from Your Record
With a Conway defense attorney’s help, you might avoid the most serious criminal and academic consequences of underage drinking charges by taking advantage of specific alcohol education programs. South Carolina law requires persons caught drinking under 21 to participate in an approved 8-hour drug and alcohol education course. By completing this program, your lawyer might petition to have the charges against you dismissed. This prevents a criminal conviction from appearing on your record, protecting you from potential academic consequences.
Another option available for qualifying crimes, including underage drinking, is to request expungement. This process removes the conviction from your criminal record, and courts may grant expungement requests for first-time offenders who participate in drug and alcohol courses.
Underage Drinking Defense Attorneys in Conway, S.C.
The dedicated college crimes legal team at Brad L Richardson might fight to get underage drinking charges dismissed or expunged, removing them from your record and protecting your future. Discuss the potential penalties of underage drinking at home and available defenses with our Conway criminal defense lawyers today by calling (843) 488-4321 or connecting with our student advocates online.