What is the name of your state? South Dakota
I got an underage consumption yesterday b/c I was stupid and had a beer in my hand when a cop drove by. I blew a .028. A grad student that was a teacher of mine in college said that he was in the same situation just short of his 21'st b-day as well and that everyone else lawyered up and ended up with underages while he spoke on his behalf and got out of it by arguing that the stigma of an underage on his record would prevent him from teaching. I was planning on just arguing my case with the judge that it was only one beer and I'm close to my 21'st birthday and that its a relatively petty crime to ruin my clean record over and make it harder to get a job. If I do this will I have to plead not guilty and get a court date or could I just say "I will plead guilty but could I say a few words on my behalf?" something like that. or would that just be automatic punishment b/c I said I would plead guilty? I really don't want to plead not guilty and then get a later court date and go through all that crap b/c I'm obviously guilty.
I got an underage consumption yesterday b/c I was stupid and had a beer in my hand when a cop drove by. I blew a .028. A grad student that was a teacher of mine in college said that he was in the same situation just short of his 21'st b-day as well and that everyone else lawyered up and ended up with underages while he spoke on his behalf and got out of it by arguing that the stigma of an underage on his record would prevent him from teaching. I was planning on just arguing my case with the judge that it was only one beer and I'm close to my 21'st birthday and that its a relatively petty crime to ruin my clean record over and make it harder to get a job. If I do this will I have to plead not guilty and get a court date or could I just say "I will plead guilty but could I say a few words on my behalf?" something like that. or would that just be automatic punishment b/c I said I would plead guilty? I really don't want to plead not guilty and then get a later court date and go through all that crap b/c I'm obviously guilty.