Question about minors and alcohol

[Cantthinkofone]

What is the name of your state? Michigan

Alright so this winter i'll be taking a trip out west with a friend. He belongs to a fraternity and he is going to be able to rent a van from the school to drive out there. Some of his frat brothers are going, who will be 21. They plan on bringing a bunch of alcohol and drinking it on the way out there. I'm underage (20) and i'm not going to drink anything. Now if we were to be pulled over, could i get in trouble if all of them (most of whom will be 21+) are drinking and im not and im underage?

 

[Jeter]

You will all be in trouble. Consumption of alcohol as a passenger in a vehicle on a highway or other place open to the general public or generally accessible to motor vehicles, including an area designated for the parking of vehicles is a misdemeanor. As part of the sentence, you and your friends may be ordered to perform community service and undergo substance abuse screening and assessment at your own expense as described in section 703(1) of the Michigan liquor control code of 1998, 1998 PA 58, MCL 436.1703.

 

[coosi]

What is the school policy on consumption of alchol in one of their rented vehicles?

 

[Cantthinkofone]

oh, well if you were to be pulled over, and there were empty beer cans who belonged to people over 21, then what?

 

[coosi]

Open container laws prohibit the possession of any open alcoholic beverage container and the consumption of any alcoholic beverage in the passenger area of a motor vehicle."

Therefore, in most states you are in violation of open container law, see states below

http://www3.madd.org/laws/law.cfm?LawID=OPEN

 

[Cantthinkofone]

guess my trip out west is not going to happen for me.

 

[Cantthinkofone]

thanks for the info

 

[coosi]

guess my trip out west is not going to happen for me.

The point of my last post and link is that it's illegal for ANYONE to have open containers in the vehicle. It doesn't matter if you're over 21...

 

[Cantthinkofone]

yeah i get that, but it's not worth it for me. I'm only asking for myself, not them because A) I dont know them and B) my friend wont give a ratsass about it. So it's not worth the risk of getting caught and getting in trouble, even though I want to go on this trip bad

 

[knotcops]

To hell with getting caught! What about getting killed when the van plunges into a revene and explodes or hits head on into a big rig because these idiots were drinking and driving?

 

[Cantthinkofone]

Knotcops you misunderstodd. I wont be drinking, and someone else would be sober when they drive, dont worry I would make sure of that. I was just wondering that if lets say im driving, and a bunch of 21 year olds are in the back drinking, COULD I, and I'm only talking about me, get in trouble? I know that they could for having open alcohol, but would I get busted for anything?