Juvenile Possession of Drug Paraphernalia

[Thor200587]

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

Last night my little sister was in a car with her friends and the driver was pulled over for a moving violation. The officer smelled the marijuana in the car and pulled them out and questioned them. There was no marijuana in the car but the officer scared her into admitting that she had a pipe in her purse. They picked her up and took her to the station an let the other kids go. She is sixteen years old. We picked her up from the station and they released her with just paperwork that had a list of the items she had. The stated she was being charged with possession of drug paraphernalia. From what I understand things are a bit different because she is a juvenile. Also, she has a previous MIC charge.

My questions are:

Will they contact us? Or is there somewhere we need to follow up with to prevent a missed court date?

What should we expect in terms the cost of this whole thing and possible punishment?

What are some suggestions on how to proceed and how is it going to differ based on the fact that it is juvenile?

Thank you for your time,
Ryan

 

[FlyingRon]

Unless you were charged with something, there is no "US" here. Yes, she can expect charging papers with appearance dates to come in the mail. Hopefully her address is correct on the paperwork they already gave (and with the DMV). You may wish to consult a lawyer at this time.

Arizona has pretty stiff paraphernalia laws...

 

[The Occultist]

Arizona has pretty stiff paraphernalia laws...

This is true. Actually, for adults, a first-time offense is a slap on the wrist. For minors, however, it's a very big deal. I guess the concept here is to "scare them straight". There will be fines, probation (which will likely include frequent urine tests), community service, and drug counseling. It will not be a pleasant experience, but hopefully she will come out the better for it.

Oh, and this is not legal advice here, but should you end up footing the bill here, I would certainly make sure she pays you back every penny.

 

[JETX]

Will they contact us? Or is there somewhere we need to follow up with to prevent a missed court date?

Yes. Read the paperwork you received when she was released... or cited.

What should we expect in terms the cost of this whole thing and possible punishment?

No one can guess as it depends on her FULL criminal record... and the whim of the court and prosecutor.

What are some suggestions on how to proceed and how is it going to differ based on the fact that it is juvenile?

First, recognize that your daughter is a druggie... and leading to a life of welfare drawing trailer trash. Once you have learned that... and try to be a responsible parent..... get her a good attorney.