Ohio underage charges

Here's my situation, I was pulled over in St. Marys, Ohio on february 24. There were 2 other people in the car. I got pulled over because someone had complained about how I was driving. I was driving my firend's car, which he was one of the people in the car at the time. The police officer told me why I was pulled over but when my friends asked the other police officers that were there they avoided the question. They asked me to search the car, even though it wasen't my car and I said it was one of the passengers. I'm not sure if they asked him or not but they searched the car and found 9 bottles of Schminoff Ice in the back seat. 2 of them had been drank by my friends. The owner of the car, told the police officers that he had bought the beer, when we were at the police station. I had not had anything to drink, my friends even told the cops that to. My firends were given the breathalizer test and one of them failed with a .008, the other one had a .005(the owner of the car). I was not given the breathalizer test while at the police station, nor did they make me do anytype of sobriety test. And now I'm being charged with the same thing my friend got. We're all 18 by the way. And this is what I am being charged with, Within the county of auglaize, State of Ohio, the said Donald G. Grunden, did being a person under the age of twenty-one years, order, pay for, share the cost of, or attempt to purchase any beer or intoxicating liquor, or consume any beer or intoxicating liquor, either from a sealed or unsealed container or by the glass or by the drink, or posses any beer or intoxicating liquor, in any public or private place. Said act is a misdemeanor of the first degree and contrary to the Ohio Revised Code Section 4301.632 in such case made and provided, and against the peace and dignity of the State of Ohio. I did not pay for, pitch in for, or say anything to the person selling us the beer. I didn't even touch it, all I did was drive the car. I'm getting nothing out of the complaint on how I was driving, but I'm getting an underage for just being in the car with 2 other people that each had 1 beer. I'm just really wondering how I can be getting anything outta this. If not when I go to court should I fight it? Please respond as soon as possible.

Donny Grunden

Hello??? Can anyone help me out here? My court date is on Wensday the 27th.

Ain'tcha ever got nothing better to say other than "hire an attorney" all the time? You ain't like the rest that don't provide legal advice, at least they are entertaining.

I'm pretty sure, according to the law, you would be guilty of underage posession of alcohol. Since no breathalyzer was done on you, I don't see how they could charge you with any consumption charge. I'm afraid you don't have much of a chance of getting out of it. Fair or not - the possession charge will stick.

or posses any beer or intoxicating liquor, in any public or private place.

I copied and pasted that from your posting......if you are the driver,YOU possess............as a driver....you are ultimatley responsible for the vehicles' contentents and passengers........they got you. Get a lawyer.