Driving with underage drinkers in backseat

[jonjovi]

I live in CT and am 17 years old, recently I was driving my car and got stopped by the police. They found my underage friends drinking in the backseat of my car. I was not drinking though. The cop asked everyone to get out of the car and asked if he could search the trunk. Is this legal, did I have the right to refuse him to open the trunk, or did he have a right to be suspicious? I opened the trunk for him and he found my friends bag which had one beer inside of it. He told me that it was possesion of alcohol even though the bag wasnt mine. He did not arrest any of us, but I was wondering if there would be any further consequences for me, the driver, or for any of my friends. Would there be a chance of my liscense getting suspended or revoked, would I have to attend court?

 

[CdwJava]

I live in CT and am 17 years old, recently I was driving my car and got stopped by the police. They found my underage friends drinking in the backseat of my car. I was not drinking though.

Not very smart allowing your friends to be drinking in your car.

The cop asked everyone to get out of the car and asked if he could search the trunk. Is this legal, did I have the right to refuse him to open the trunk, or did he have a right to be suspicious?

Yes, it is legal. He can ASK almost anything he wants. he had a right to be suspicious. You could have refused in which case it's likely that you would have been cited along with your friends. And if CT allows for an arrest under these situations, you could be paying a fine AND paying to have the car released from impound as well.

I opened the trunk for him and he found my friends bag which had one beer inside of it.

So, it's a moot point. You consented to the search.

He told me that it was possesion of alcohol even though the bag wasnt mine.

Iffy, but it might fly. If you got cited, you could hire an attorney and fight it and you just might prevail. But whether your parents would want to fork out an amount equal to 5 to 10 times the fine is highly questionable.

He did not arrest any of us, but I was wondering if there would be any further consequences for me, the driver, or for any of my friends. Would there be a chance of my liscense getting suspended or revoked, would I have to attend court?

Thereare always those possibilities, yes. If nobody was cited, then I'd say the chances are slim.

- Carl