Smart people with life experience unite and save spider-nerd!

[Spider-Nerd]

So last thursday night ole spider-nerd decided to head out to a party or two seeing as how it was thursday night at rutgers university. So my roommate and I left out apartment with a gatorade bottle in hand, bottles had gatorade mixed wtih vodka and we proceeded to walk to the party we were heading to. I of course, was paranoid that we were gonna get stopped by the cops but said whatever, there are 30k undergrads at rutgers, nothing's gonna happen. Not 2 blocks from our house a cop pulls up next to us and askes us for the bottles and ID. We give it to him, he advises us that he could arrest us for having alchohol (being that we're both 20 years old) we told him we weren't drinking it as the bottles were closed. Then he said that we should have told him that we were drinking it because that's less serious than not drinking it (I guess minors transporting alchohol is worse). So eventually he gives us two tickets, one each that say and I quote, "Drinking in public (underage) gatorade bottles w/ vodka".

Now, we were'n't actually drinking in public, we just had it with us and at the time I wasn't about to start arguing with the cop as I'm not in law school just yet (about 1.5 years away actually). I looked up the penalty for this kind of thing in New Jersey and apparently this is no joke, minimum fine of five hundred bucks, possible counciling, ect.....

I was wondering if anyone had been in this situation before/had any advice. There are two of us (my roommate and I) so should we get a lawyer? The only reason I would get a lawyer is if it would end up being really working out, because even if that 500 dollar fine is reduced, I'm still gonna have to fork over dough for a lawyer. Any advice would be greatly appreciated......

 

[GoldenAgeHero]

just pay 500. you and your roomate bought it on yourselves anyway.

 

[Whirlysplat]

America is funny. The land of the free? Not!

- Whirly

 

[November Rain]

sorry, Can't help ya on this one...

hope it turns out for the best. I would have to say it does sound very unfortunate though.

 

[Spider-Nerd]

just pay 500. you and your roomate bought it on yourselves anyway.

that's probably what's gonna happen. I just hope that's all it is, pay the money and it's over and done with.

 

[Whirlysplat]

that's probably what's gonna happen. I just hope that's all it is, pay the money and it's over and done with.

You mean your parents will pay. I bet they were chuffed.

- Whirly

 

[November Rain]

Wait i don't understand, so everyone who is caught doing underage drinking has to pay a fine of $500????



surely the us government would be making an absolute fortune is this was properly enforced?

I don't understand why it's so big

 

[Harlekin]

Wow, this reminds me of why I love the Netherlands. Legal drinking age for the soft stuff? 16. Legal drinking age for the harder stuff? 18.

 

[Spider-Nerd]

You mean your parents will pay. I bet they were chuffed.

- Whirly

Actually no, my parents will not pay it because I refuse to tell them about it. I complain about being broke but I'll actually be legitimately broke after this stupid ticket. I hate asking my parents for money.

 

[Spider-Nerd]

Wait i don't understand, so everyone who is caught doing underage drinking has to pay a fine of $500????



surely the us government would be making an absolute fortune is this was properly enforced?

I don't understand why it's so big

See that's the thing though, we weren't drinking it, we were in posession of it and he just said hey, I'll write you a ticket for drinking cause it's worse to not be drinking it.......

 

[Erzengel]

Is this a mandatory court appearance?

 

[GoldenAgeHero]

Actually no, my parents will not pay it because I refuse to tell them about it. I complain about being broke but I'll actually be legitimately broke after this stupid ticket. I hate asking my parents for money.

i love it. although its getting old.

 

[Erzengel]

Next time however. Have the 2 bottles of gatorade and maybe carry a flask in your back pocket.

 

[Wilhelm-Scream]

After all of the ingenous techniques for facilitating underaged drinking for those on the go, I have no sympathy for Spider-Nerd.

 

[Spider-Nerd]

Is this a mandatory court appearance?

yep, otherwise at this point i probably would have paid the fine and gotten it over with. I was hoping it'd just be some bull ***** 75 or 200 dollar fine max...

 

[Erzengel]

This has never happened to me. I always went to the parties with booze already there.

However, if this is anything like traffic court, see if you could go in and plead down to a lesser offense. Like disorderly conduct, and maybe the fine won't be as much.

Also, and I'm not sure of this, somebody back me up here if I'm right. If you call the precinct and see what days the officer who gave you the ticket is working. Then call the court to change your court date and try to get it on the day the officer is off. Likely the cop won't show up on his day off. Then I believe you can throw your case out because you have the right to face your accuser.

Double check a real lawyer and not somebody who listens to too much radio.

 

[Wilhelm-Scream]

weird. I got so publically intoxicated that I passed out on the street, an ambulance came and revived me, I was taken to the drunk tank for 12 or so hours, I went to court and the judge fined me one measly hundred dollars.
This was in Utah, but I'd think the Mormon rulers would be harder on a passed out drunk than most.

 

[chosen1]

Um if the ticked says what you say it says you can get that thrown out of court. If the ticket says you were drinking and you werent and he did'nt give you a test. That doesnt sound right. Sometimes officers do this just to teach you a lesson and not even show up at court and the judge would throw it out.

 

[Spider-Nerd]

weird. I got so publically intoxicated that I passed out on the street, an ambulance came and revived me, I was taken to the drunk tank for 12 or so hours, I went to court and the judge fined me one measly hundred dollars.
This was in Utah, but I'd think the Mormon rulers would be harder on a passed out drunk than most.

but you were probably over 21...

 

[Wilhelm-Scream]

but you were probably over 21...

Which I would think would make it worse as everybody knows that most kids drink before legal age and everyone winks and says "shame...SHAME" and then snickers.

 

[Kent]

A quick search and I found this:

Alcohol Related Laws in New Jersey.

A. Possession or Consumption of Alcohol in places by the Underaged N.J.S.A. (2C:33-15)
Any person under the legal age to purchase alcoholic beverages who knowingly possesses without legal authority or who knowingly consumes any alcoholic beverage in any school, public conveyance, public place, place of public assembly, or motor vehicle is guilty of a disorderly persons offense and shall be fined not less than $5000. If the offense occurs in a motor vehicle, it will also result in a six month loss of license.

 

[Lady Stormcrow]

I got slightly confused when I read this (being that in merry old england you can drink your memory away once you're 18) Then I realised you have to be 21 across the pond.
I guess the best advice I can give is; next time..dont get caught.
Oh yeah, and good luck dude

 

[Spider-Nerd]

A quick search and I found this:

Alcohol Related Laws in New Jersey.

no way that's right, it's not even 5k for a DUI......if it is 5k, then no doubt I've gotta get a lawyer....

 

[Immortalfire]

Just pay the fine, it's not worth it to let a lawyer bleed on top of you for a $500 ticket. Learn something from this.

 

[bulok]

Wait does it say on the ticket what the fine was for? does it give you a specific code or just written in scribble? i didn't think there was a law against carrying alchohol there might be in an incorrectly labelled container.

i dont think a minor can be fined for having alchohol, the actual crime is selling to a "minor".