[EL Jeffe 5]

nothing to worry just go to court pay the fine and call it a day

This is not a big deal

[Alfisti]

'mericns kill me. Here's your hat (LOLS as if that does anything) , here's your gun, there's the plane, when we drop you off run like fucking buggery and hope you make it. Oh no beer though, you're too young for that son.

[DETRoadster]

Originally Posted by Smgs1992

Cannot comment in your state. In ohio when i was 18 i got an underage consumption charge which was a ticket and court appearance. Ended up costing me about $240 total not a big deal

Yep, same here. Got busted by the cops with a keg in our dorm closet. Minor in Possession. I think the fine was like $300. it had exactly zero impact on my subsequent life, other than my parents being pissed at me for about a week.

BMWGUYinCO It's not like your kid got a DUI. Here's a suggestion: "Son, you're an adult now. You made an adult decision and got yourself into some adult trouble. Dads not going to take a day off work to come bail you out. You got yourself into this, you get yourself out of it. I'm here for you to offer advice but you gotta man up and deal with this."

[BMWGUYinCO]

Originally Posted by DETRoadster

Yep, same here. Got busted by the cops with a keg in our dorm closet. Minor in Possession. I think the fine was like $300. it had exactly zero impact on my subsequent life, other than my parents being pissed at me for about a week.

BMWGUYinCO It's not like your kid got a DUI. Here's a suggestion: "Son, you're an adult now. You made an adult decision and got yourself into some adult trouble. Dads not going to take a day off work to come bail you out. You got yourself into this, you get yourself out of it. I'm here for you to offer advice but you gotta man up and deal with this."

I am appreciative of the continued input from all of you.

I just want to say, my son is tremendously responsible and independent. He hasn't asked me for help with this situation, rather only informed me about it. He is fully prepared to take this on himself, and accept responsibility. But he doesn't want to lose his license or get the misdemeanor stapled to his record so I thought I would just ask for experiences or advice on how to proceed.

I hope I didn't give the impression Daddy was going to bail him out - I've got his back if he wants me to accompany him to court, but he's going to take care of it. I'm extremely proud of him!

[DETRoadster]

Originally Posted by BMWGUYinCO

I am appreciative of the continued input from all of you.

I just want to say, my son is tremendously responsible and independent. He hasn't asked me for help with this situation, rather only informed me about it. He is fully prepared to take this on himself, and accept responsibility. But he doesn't want to lose his license or get the misdemeanor stapled to his record so I thought I would just ask for experiences or advice on how to proceed.

I hope I didn't give the impression Daddy was going to bail him out - I've got his back if he wants me to accompany him to court, but he's going to take care of it. I'm extremely proud of him!

Seems like you and he need to do some research and see what the consequences could be. If they are high and lasting, then step in. If he might lose a few hundred bucks then let it be a learning experience. Seems like you are taking all the right steps and have a great kid. I'd be surprised if much came of this but then again a lot has changed since I got busted back in 1997.

[BMWGUYinCO]

Originally Posted by DETRoadster

Seems like you and he need to do some research and see what the consequences could be. If they are high and lasting, then step in. If he might lose a few hundred bucks then let it be a learning experience. Seems like you are taking all the right steps and have a great kid. I'd be surprised if much came of this but then again a lot has changed since I got busted back in 1997.

Yep - research is a good thing! In fact I have done some research, and while there have been many replies to my initial post, I did find this (and posted later in the thread) from the actual court of Boulder:

What to Expect in Court
What is the likely outcome of my case?
The outcome of your MIP case will depend on whether you have had a previous criminal violation. If you are a University of Colorado (CU) student, you will have additional consequences imposed by the Office of Student Conduct or Residence Life.

Marijuana-related cases that result in a conviction may affect your eligibility for Federal Student Financial Aid. To find out more, consult an attorney and/or read the following links: Penalties For Drug Law Violations and Student Aid Eligibility.

First MIP
If you have no prior criminal history, then you will likely be offered a form of diversion called a Deferred Prosecution.

You are not required to plead guilty.

You are required to pay for and attend a court ordered Substance Use Class.

You must pay $100 court fee due on the day of court.

Once you complete the court ordered program, your case will be dismissed and your MIP record will automatically be sealed.

Please note that if you have an additional charge(s) in your case, they are NOT eligible for automatic sealing. You must petition the court and pay a $65 sealing fee to seal that charge(s).

[Smgs1992]

Honestly id be surprised if it makes any lasting impact on his life. I doubt most any job is gonna turn him down because 10yrs ago he got busted for drinking underage. Which 99% of people have done. Seems more like a slap on the wrist pay a fine and move on.

[mjr24]

Get a lawyer.

Like others have said, you have one shot at this. Plus, if the judge is in a crappy mood, he may not care one bit how responsible your son really is and it may not reflect well on him if you are trying to make excuses for him to the judge. Judge figures he won't ever see you guys again and can decide what he wants. Get a lawyer in there who has probably been before that judge 100 times and will be back in front of him 100 more times.....the judge isn't going to make a hasty decision in front of an attorney he is familiar with knowing he is going to see him again. It's just bad business.

Like others have said, though....minor issue. If that's the worst your son ever does, just about anyone would overlook this is a heartbeat.

[eluded]

When charged with a crime hire the best damn criminal lawyer you can afford. This is one of life's lessons they don't teach you.

[Reborn_]

+1 on this being nothing to worry about. A buddy and I also each received a MIP Charge at age 19. Went to court, paid a small fine and took a day-long course that involved red asphalt movies. The misdemeanor was reduced to an infraction. I didn’t even tell my parents. YMMV of course so only you can decide if it’s worth hiring a lawyer. I will also add that a misdemeanor is no big deal if he doesn’t continue to commit crimes, which it sounds like he won’t. I commend you for being a good father.

[Resjudicata]

it's your decision, but I'd recommend NOT paying $1500 to some quack who may or may not help. Most likely you will get the SAME results without the attorney.

Don't hire a lawyer, have your son go to Court and face it like a man. Admit responsibility and ask for forgiveness.
Judge will likely put you into the diversion program, and the problem will be SOLVED successfully.

[MKSixer]

Originally Posted by mjr24

Get a lawyer.

Like others have said, you have one shot at this. Plus, if the judge is in a crappy mood, he may not care one bit how responsible your son really is and it may not reflect well on him if you are trying to make excuses for him to the judge. Judge figures he won't ever see you guys again and can decide what he wants. Get a lawyer in there who has probably been before that judge 100 times and will be back in front of him 100 more times.....the judge isn't going to make a hasty decision in front of an attorney he is familiar with knowing he is going to see him again. It's just bad business.

Like others have said, though....minor issue. If that's the worst your son ever does, just about anyone would overlook this is a heartbeat.

This and every other response that said, "Get a lawyer".

My daughter got a similar ticket on Bourbon Street when she was underaged and I used it to teach her an object lesson. The lawyer I use from there set it up nicely with the judge and prosecutor. We walked in and she thought, Dad will just pay a fine and make it all go away. NOPE. The bailiff called everyone from her group and she was the only one in attendance. They escorted her, the attorney and myself to the back and the prosecutor read all of the fines and possible outcomes she was subject to and the tears started flowing. After wards they started discussing the human trafficking that goes on in the area. I had to stop myself from laughing a couple of times and signaled him to slow it down when I though she was going to throw up. My work was done.

Further I will suggest this to you, BMWGUYinCO since you have a child that is almost 21: You should have a relationship with an attorney to help you navigate the complex legal landscape in anything from real estate transactions to the events you describe with respect to your son. It can be one of the most valuable relationships you can have.

Good luck with your son and I hope this works out well and leaves his record blemish free.

Cheers-mk

[F32Fleet]

Originally Posted by MKSixer

This and every other response that said, "Get a lawyer".

My daughter got a similar ticket on Bourbon Street when she was underaged and I used it to teach her an object lesson. The lawyer I use from there set it up nicely with the judge and prosecutor. We walked in and she thought, Dad will just pay a fine and make it all go away. NOPE. The bailiff called everyone from her group and she was the only one in attendance. They escorted her, the attorney and myself to the back and the prosecutor read all of the fines and possible outcomes she was subject to and the tears started flowing. After wards they started discussing the human trafficking that goes on in the area. I had to stop myself from laughing a couple of times and signaled him to slow it down when I though she was going to throw up. My work was done.

Further I will suggest this to you, BMWGUYinCO since you have a child that is almost 21: You should have a relationship with an attorney to help you navigate the complex legal landscape in anything from real estate transactions to the events you describe with respect to your son. It can be one of the most valuable relationships you can have.

Good luck with your son and I hope this works out well and leaves his record blemish free.

Cheers-mk

LOL that's hilarious.

I feel bad for the OP. The state believes his 20yr old son has sufficient risk awareness to enter contracts, join the military, and rent an apartment, buy god forbid he have a beer in his own apartment.

[larsek]

Originally Posted by BMWGUYinCO

If prosecuted to the fullest extent, this could result in a misdemeanor on his record, which we want to avoid.

Sorry to jump in without adding any value, but just out of curiosity: What exactly does that mean and what could be the consequences? I am German and for me that's somewhat disconcerting that drinking beer in your own flat at the age of 20,97 seems to potentially have serious consequences...

We can get shit-faced here at the age of 16 without any worries

[Smgs1992]

Originally Posted by larsek

Sorry to jump in without adding any value, but just out of curiosity: What exactly does that mean and what could be the consequences? I am German and for me that's somewhat disconcerting that drinking beer in your own flat at the age of 20,97 seems to potentially have serious consequences...

We can get shit-faced here at the age of 16 without any worries

In most cases a misdemeanor results in almost no impact on your life unless you continue to get in trouble. It could mean that if you were to appear in court again a judge may charge you more harshly and perhaps if you were to pursue a career in law enforcement or military a drug possession charge would disqualify you. However i dont see an alcohol possession charge resulting in any serious consequence.
My underage consumption has had absolutely zero impact on my life

[upstatedoc]

can a real lawyer chime in here so we can tear apart your response?

[Resjudicata]

Originally Posted by upstatedoc

can a real lawyer chime in here so we can tear apart your response?

I'm a fully licensed legal Attorney with over 20 years of experience, what can I do for you?

[MKSixer]

Originally Posted by Resjudicata

I'm a fully licensed legal Attorney with over 20 years of experience, what can I do for you?

Read the OP and render an opinion, counselor.

[upstatedoc]

Originally Posted by MKSixer

Read the OP and render an opinion, counselor.

he already did

[BimmerDimmer6]

Cop sounds like asshole.

Imagine trying to ruin a kid's life over some beer.

[Resjudicata]

Originally Posted by BimmerDimmer6

Cop sounds like asshole.

Imagine trying to ruin a kid's life over some beer.

cops are just doing their job. minor in possession is about as small a criminal charge as you can get. one step above Trespassing or drunk in public.

[G35POPPEDMYCHERRY]

Originally Posted by Smgs1992

In most cases a misdemeanor results in almost no impact on your life unless you continue to get in trouble. It could mean that if you were to appear in court again a judge may charge you more harshly and perhaps if you were to pursue a career in law enforcement or military a drug possession charge would disqualify you. However i dont see an alcohol possession charge resulting in any serious consequence.
My underage consumption has had absolutely zero impact on my life

Shows on your background check