Underage drinking question

[pafootball61]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Pennsylvania

Hi. I'm a 20 year old college student in Pennsylvania. I have a question pertaining to underage drinking which may seem a bit odd. I'm a non-drinker, and my friends are occasional social drinkers. We often go to parties where underage drinking is taking place, which results in my friends having a few drinks at the party while I drink a non-alcoholic drink. If the party we were at was to be raided by police, could I get arrested for underage drinking even if I blew a 0 in a breathalyzer? I have heard horror stories about this happening and am very concerned. I know many people will say that I should just avoid going to these parties, but these types of parties are the majority of social existence in college.

[CdwJava]

If PA has a possession statute that covers the situation, then you could be charged for being underage and in possession. That offense would not require consumption, only the potential for domininion and control over the alcohol around you.

- Carl

[outonbail]

As a general rule of thumb, any time you are associating with a group of friends and that group of friends are engaged in an illegal activity, there is always a very good chance that if and when they are arrested, for whatever laws they may be breaking, that you will be sucked up in the vortex created by their illegal actions.

Even if you weren't personally drinking, smoking pot, shoplifting, vandalizing the vending machine etc., you may still be charged right along with your friends.

This means that you will have to appear in court for the charges, plead not guilty, then spend money you don't have to hire an attorney who you hope will somehow prove that you weren't breaking the law, you were simply watching your friends do it.

Also, don't expect any of your friends to come to your rescue and testify as to your innocence either. Because testifying to your innocence is often the equivalent of admitting their own guilt, which their attorney's will not allow.

Even if you were 21, you could end up with a contributing charge if some of your alcohol consuming friends were only 20.

When the police are fishing for people to arrest at these college drinking parties, they don't use a line and hook, they use a big net. Then they let the DA decide which fish, if any, get thrown back. But to the police reeling them in, they're all keepers!