Underage Alcohol Offenses

Rhode Island, like many other states, has specific offenses concerning alcohol that can only be committed by individuals who are not yet 21 years of age. These offenses disappear for an individual as soon as he or she turns 21. However, this does not mean that the person who is no longer a minor can buy or provide alcoholic beverages for his or her minor friends without risk of a fine.

The first of the offenses a minor can commit relating to alcohol is if the minor is caught in possession of an alcoholic beverage. The individual does not have to have consumed any of it; he or she merely needs to have possession of the beverage in order to have committed this offense.

The next offense is consuming an alcoholic beverage. This one is slightly more difficult to prove on the part of the police and so they generally stick with charging the minor with possession of the beverage. A third crime is providing alcohol to those who have not yet turned 21. This crime is used to punish parents who provide their children with alcohol as well as young adults that provide alcohol to their non-adult friends. It is not strictly an offense that a minor can commit but it is a minor-related alcohol offense.

Another crime relating to alcohol and minors is the misrepresentation of age. A person caught trying to buy alcohol with a fake piece of identification or by giving his or her age incorrectly can also be charged with a ticket.

Contact a Rhode Island DUI Defense Attorney

If you are a minor and have been charged with an alcohol-related offense, contact Rhode Island DUI attorney Matthew Marin today at 401-287-4384.