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Help! 20 year old "possession of liquor by minor"

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rpark39

Junior Member
What is the name of your state? Illinois

Please help me. I was recently charged with possession of alcohol and I am only 20 years old. This situation is rather unique. Firstly, the police officer never witnessed me possessing alcohol. I was walking down a street with 3 friends completely normal after only 1 beer (My bac was .0208). The cop pulled over as we were walking, and recognized one of my friends (My friend's brother had been arrested earlier in the night for underage drinking). The cop then asked if we had been drinking, and said he could smell the alcohol (he was 15+ feet away and no one had drank heavily). We admitted. We were sent to the local police station, hand cuffed and breathalized. Then we were transported in a van to a different police station 25 minutes away, where we were searched (none of us had anything on us). The bail fee was $115, and we spent almost 8 hours in jail. Our rights were never read to us! Now I have a court date coming up and have no idea what to do. An attorney will cost $350-1200, which in my opinion is rather steep. How big of a deal is a misdemeanor? Is it worth hiring an attorney? What happens if I simply plead "not guilty"?

P.S. This is my first offense; my record is completely clean.What is the name of your state?
 


racer72

Senior Member
Our rights were never read to us!
For the 1,873rd time, Miranda rights are only required prior to questioning. If you were not questioned, there is no reason to read you your rights. It never happens the way you see it on TV.

Now I have a court date coming up and have no idea what to do.
Showing up in time would be a good start. If you are lucky, Seniorjudge will be by and give you his tips on appearing in court.

An attorney will cost $350-1200, which in my opinion is rather steep.
Without an attorney, you will think it's a bargain after your court appearance.

How big of a deal is a misdemeanor?
There are lots of folks working low paying dead end jobs because they can't get anything better, all it took was getting busted and convicted of some minor crime.

Is it worth hiring an attorney?
Imagine your playing basketball. You can have Michael Jordan or Stanley Swickschitz as a teammate. Stanley is a short fat guy with asthma. Going to court with an attorney is like having MJ for a teammate.

What happens if I simply plead "not guilty"?
Depends. Without an attorney, the prosecution will present evidence against you, you will likely aggravate the judge when you don't anything to prove your innocence and you will be found guilty. With an attorney at your side, you just have to sit there with a look of innocence on your face and the attorney will take care of everything.
 

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